


The Only & Final Chance

by SkyEclipse



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Beach Holidays, Betrayal, Canon: Devilman Crybaby, Eventual Smut, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Jealous Michael, Jenny does a lot for her lord, Lies, M/M, Maybe slow start but plot picks up fast I guess, Mpreg, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Post-Canon Fix-It, Ryo did nothing wrong, fast updates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2020-05-14 09:30:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 55,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19270489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyEclipse/pseuds/SkyEclipse
Summary: Surprised and pleased that Satan has learned to love, God decides to offer him one and one chance only; a chance for Satan to be with Akira happily in the third loop, or face never-ending suffering thereafter. Will Satan be able to redeem himself this time?- A fix-it of sorts with planned smut and angst later on. Will update tags as story goes on!





	1. God and Satan

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys. This is the first time ever for me writing a fanfic, so I hope you will like it. I just got into Crybaby last week and I was really heartbroken and since then, I’ve gobbled up all the manga and OVAs I could find. So now, to make myself feel a little better I decided to make a fanfic about Crybaby. Please enjoy!

The sound of weeping echoed through the empty night, where the moon, split in half by some cosmic force, was reflected over a red sea.

Beating his wings furiously while holding onto the spear in his hands, Archangel Michael soared through the skies, searching for the source of the sound. His elegant, golden armor gleamed under the moonlight, and his long golden curls danced in the wind. Far behind him were his heavenly brethren, their arrival being the signal to wipe the Earth completely clean from life. Not that it mattered anyway; there was only one person left alive on the planet and he was destined to die by Michael’s hand.

Finally after a few minutes, the archangel caught sight of a pitiful scene.

On a lone cliff, grabbing tightly onto a body torn in half, was his mirror image - his twin brother, the beautiful fallen archangel Lucifer, otherwise known as Satan. Tears streamed down endlessly from the fallen angel’s crystal blue eyes, while numerous white feathery wings wrapped around the unmoving corpse of the man called Akira. He was in great sorrow, and Michael knew why. He had been watching over everything in Heaven.

 _Akira Fudo,_ Michael thought with a frown as he glanced at the face of the corpse, landing softly behind his brother. The Devilman who was capable of turning the cold, unfeeling Satan into a grieving mess.

“Brother,” Michael called, “I would never have thought to see you like this. What a pathetic sight!”

If Satan heard him, then he gave no heed, for he carried on crying for his dead lover. But Michael had noticed his brother’s wings furling tighter around the Devilman. Smirking, Michael lifted his spear, aiming it at Satan’s unclothed back.

“Long ago, you once said to me and Father that love ‘does not exist’. _But look at you now!_ The one pouring his eyes out over a human he knew. Tell me, does love exist now?”

The spear poised over Satan’s back stabbed deep into the fallen archangel’s flesh, and Satan gasped and coughed out ichor amidst his cries.

But he still held on tightly to Akira, weeping as the spear penetrated into him, lodging into his heart. He knew what was going on, but he had lost the will to care. He’d lost the will to live.

Then after a few minutes, when ichor pooled around Satan’s marble-white body, the fallen angel sighed. “I-I was wrong,” Satan admitted with much difficulty, caressing Akira’s face. He slid a finger over the Devilman’s cheekbone, a memory of Akira’s bright smile echoing before his eyes. Another wave of tears flowed from his eyes.

Behind him, Michael was slightly surprised. He never would have thought to hear his once-proud brother admit such a thing. “You must really love him,” Michael finally replied.

“Yes, I did. So just finish me off quickly, I don’t care anymore. Let me die and float in darkness for the next few million years before Father remakes a new Earth.”

With that, Satan turned to face his twin brother, and Michael could see defeat in his eyes. Despair. Sorrow. Regret. _Love_...

“Lucifer,” was all Michael could say. It was so unlike his brother, to become like this. Before Akira Fudo entered the scene, Satan was so different, so cold; there was nothing in his heart. _Love is truly the most powerful thing in the world,_ he mused.

With a grin Michael pulled out the spear, spilling more ichor onto the muddy terrain. He watched Satan drop onto the ground, Akira beside him, still in his grasp. With death claiming the fallen angel, Satan felt a sense of peace, a way to escape the never ending pain inside his heart.

No more sorrow, no more regret. Forget everything, forget killing the one he loved, forget Akira...

_Forget Akira?_  
_How could he do that?_

Another torrent of tears washed over his face, and Satan gasped and cried, desperately clinging onto Akira, pressing his breasts against Akira’s chest. He longed for Akira, his love and forgiveness...

_But he ruined everything with his own hands._

He did not deserve forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, s-so sorry, ah... so sorry, Akira-“ Satan whispered with difficulty, placing a gentle kiss on Akira’s lips before he was too weak to move.

Michael continued to watch in silence, until it was all over. When there was no longer any signs of life in Satan’s eyes, Michael raised his spear and ordered his army of angels to rain wrath onto the planet — the true Armageddon that Earth had to suffer.

—————————————————————

When Satan opened his eyes, he was momentarily blinded by a white light.

It was warm and full; it filled his insides, seeping into his heart. In the past, he had always thought that the light led him to feel pleasant and carefree, but now it was something that made him uncomfortable.

He knew what the light was, and he knew where he was now.

God had summoned his soul here.

“ _My dear Morning Star, it has been sometime._ ”

Satan shuddered as the voice of his Creator reverberated in his head.

The last time he saw God face-to-face, his Father was furious. He had rebelled, and was casted out of Heaven for it. It was not a pleasant memory. Satan was not ready to confront his Father like this! Alone and still torn apart by Akira’s death, with the pain of sorrow still lingering in his mind.

But curiosity filled him as well. So he dared to speak, and he did so in a hushed voice, “Hello, Father. Why have you brought me here?”

The light around him grew warmer and God replied, “My dear child, I bear you no ill will. I have seen everything, and while you are as rebellious as ever, you have brought a change within you.”

Satan’s wings fluttered around him as he sat on the white marble floor. He could see his own reflection staring back at him, clear as day. His eyes were red and puffy, and a sorrowful expression was etched onto his beautiful face.

“Thus I have decided to give you a chance,” God continued. “A second chance, _a final chance_. You can either take it and have a life with the person you have fallen in love with. Or you can continue your rebellion against me, where you will struggle forever.”

Satan frowned, looking up. In the midst of all the white light, he could see a silhouette shining brightly before him. He could make out the features of God smiling, and he felt his heart beating loudly against his chest.

A second chance? _To be able to be with Akira..._

“Why?” Satan whispered, unable to believe it. It was too good to be true - by now the rebellion was the last thing on his mind; to hell with it! If he could have Akira... nothing else mattered!

“Because I saw and felt your love for the human - Akira. My _dearest_  Morning Star, I banished you in the first place because of the pride in your heart. The pride that filled you and made you turn against me; the arrogance that you were above all beings, and that love was but foolishness for someone as you. That pride pushed away all of me from your soul and never let you feel any love or sorrow.”

Satan felt rather ashamed when he heard this, because he knew his Father was right. He always thought himself above all others, including God himself. He always thought love was a foolish concept and a weakness. Ever since his creation, he had never truly loved.

But now, things were different, ever since he met Akira at the pier.

“Now that you have finally learned how to love, I will give you the chance to redeem yourself. A chance for you to embrace it and have a life with Akira Fudo, and to also learn how to love everything else. What say you, my child?”

Satan thought about his Father’s words quietly. He knew this was the only choice he had, and he would never have this chance again. He would have to put down all of his pride, for... for Akira. _But it would be worth it!_

“As long as I can be with him, I will do anything,” Satan answered loudly, spreading all twelve of his wings out as he stood up. His voice echoed in the white space around him, and God chuckled at Satan’s sudden courage.

“Good. I hope you won’t disappoint me this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my head Crybaby seems rather different from manga in quite a few ways, so one thing: God is nicer here; second: the loops in Crybaby seem a bit different. Satan could remember the first ‘loop’ after awakening, and it seemed like he didn’t know Akira yet back then. So if Crybaby does a sequel on itself the third Earth would probably have a nicer Satan but who knows if Akira will be there? Anyway do leave comments or kudos if you enjoyed this!


	2. The Fated Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the third Earth, God loops time and replays the same history of the second Earth. The only one time he will do this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter starts a little slow, but it'll pick up towards the end.

 

Asuka Ryo made it to the pier, dripping wet from cold seawater. He waddled up the cliff, watching the tall white building nearby, where a bright light shone from the highest floor. The two moons in the sky shone dully, often covered by thick, dark clouds, barely lighting the ground.

It was in the night that he caught sight of the light from the lighthouse after drifting in the sea for weeks. It seemed like a beacon of hope for the young little boy, and he found himself being carried over by the waves. 

Confused, hungry and scared, the young child eventually fell asleep on the soft grass, hoping that things would be better soon. 

—————————————————————

It was a foggy morning when Ryo awoke the next day. Ever since he escaped the attacks from the forest he once resided in, Ryo had been assaulted by nightmares that he could not comprehend with his child-like mind, and last night was no exception. 

He got up, panting in a fright, when he suddenly realised there was another creature in front of him. 

It was a little human boy just his age, with brown hair and eyes. 

Ryo yelped in shock and backed away, afraid. He was still scarred by the memories of the blood and screams of small dying humans, back in the tribal village he lived in. Tears almost formed in his little blue eyes, but he blinked them away when he realised the brown haired boy watching him had a curious but gentle look in his gaze. 

“Are y-you okay?”

The brown haired boy stretched out his hands towards Ryo, a tinge of worry in his tiny voice.

Ryo stared back, unsure of what to do. But a sudden wave of familiarness washed over the blonde child, and he felt as if he knew this boy. 

Slowly Ryo reached out and grabbed the boy’s hand. With that, the boy sank onto his knees and stretched out, wrapping his short little arms around a surprised Ryo, embracing him with warmth and repeating, “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid...” 

* * *

Ryo was worried. Ever since he got into his car, waves of _deja vu_ swept over, making him feel as if he had done all of it before. He had never felt like this. Regardless, there were more important matters at hand. 

He glanced to his right, making sure Akira was paying attention to what he was saying. 

It had been ten years since Ryo last saw his best friend, and yet Akira barely changed. He was still the kind, scrawny and lovable boy Ryo met at the pier. A strange, happy sensation crept up his chest as he thought about it.

As Ryo spoke about Professor Fikira and what had happened, he could see Akira’s face grow from shock to horror. Of course, the story was certainly unbelievable and troubling, for who could stomach a story about demons in the real world? But the truth, the reality, _the world they lived in was cruel._  

 

He carried on driving, his eyes on the road as he sprawled on with his theories of demons.

 

When Ryo brought Akira to the Sabbath, he knew he had seen all of it before. He knew that the topless girl with a huge blue ribbon on her head would be the first to turn; he knew he would be pinned down by a huge bird demon; he could see Akira turn into a demon himself. 

 

The knowledge frightened him, but Ryo still went ahead with his plan, telling himself it was just delusions in his head that were influenced by the alcohol he drank.

 

He subconsciously called upon Amon to possess Akira as the Sabbath took a turn for the worst, and he shot down numerous demons with his machine gun before the demons got to him. Then finally, as Akira ran towards him screaming, the inevitable _happened_. 

 

Akira roared towards the skies as his body shook and transformed, growing into a ferocious dark beast with huge wings. It was the turning point of Akira’s life, the event that changed everything. 

 

And as Akira awakened as Devilman, Ryo found his head filled with images, memories, of _everything_.

 

Instantly, he knew who he was and what was going on. A searing pain rolled through his head, and the revelation of it all was too much to bear. 

 

Ryo himself had _awakened_ , and he blacked out on the spot. 

 

—————————————————————

Akira…

 

“ _Akira_!” Ryo cried out.

 

He snapped his eyes wide open, screaming Akira’s name.

 

A white ceiling greeted him.

 

Ryo blinked in surprise and confusion, wondering where he was. 

 

_Hospital?_ He guessed.

 

As soon as he did, flashbacks of the Sabbath filled his head. Not just that, but the memory… _of his other self._ It had returned to him.

 

His true self. Ryo, no, _Satan_ was his true name.

 

Sitting up, he laughed to himself softly, remembering everything.

_This is it,_ Satan thought. His second chance, the chance to make it right.

 

The chance to finally be with Akira once more!

 

As long as he did it right this time, he would never have to face the pain of losing Akira again, and he was determined to keep it that way.

 

“Sir, you’re _awake_ ,” a familiar voice called out in the room.

 

Satan turned to the side and spotted a women dressed neatly in grey. She had red curls and big yellow eyes, and a creepy smile that sent chills down the spine – Jenny.

 

Psycho Jenny was one of the most powerful demons in Satan’s army, and her power was one of the most unique among them all. Since one of her powers dabbled in the minds of creatures, she could sense straight away that her master was different right now.

 

Satan sighed. “Jenny,” he greeted.

 

She walked over to the bedside and kneeled before her lord. “Sir, I did not expect you to awaken this early,” Jenny replied. Her eyes stared deeply into Satan’s, and he knew that she was reading his mind, studying and making sure it was really him.

 

“Yes, I suppose it is early,” Satan admitted, “but it’s best that way.” It meant that he had more time to plan out the future, knowing what would happen if he carried on like how he did in the second loop. He had to deal with the demons and make sure Akira would be safe and happy, but of course, that meant that he would need to betray the demons.

 

Then there was Jenny.

 

Satan could not possibly hide things from her forever; she was a master of the mind after all. Add on to the fact that she was the closest to serving him, and she had always been loyal… A pang of sadness swept past him as he thought of the possibility of disposing Jenny. She had always been by his side.

 

Satan frowned.

 

“I have new plans,” he admitted after a moment.

 

Jenny raised an eyebrow. “ _New plans_ , sir?” She dared to ask, and Satan replied with a nod, “I have no intention of hiding it from you, since you’d find out sooner or later. I have seen the future, and I changed my mind about fighting God and eradicating humans.”

 

There was a soft ‘ _Oh_ ’ and Jenny looked down at the floor.

 

Satan watched her carefully, half-expecting her to lash out or attack him. _It's very possible_ , he thought. But her reaction so far had been… tame.

 

“Jenny, are you surprised?” Satan asked, testing the waters.

 

Jenny shook her head slowly. “I thought you might have said that, sir. After all, time seems to have rewound back to what happened, back to the Earth before."

 

Gasping, Satan widened his eyes as he cried out, “Jenny, _you can remember the previous loop_ _?"_

 

 

The first Earth was a world of dinosaurs and demons. The second Earth was where humanity began and flourished. The third Earth, instead of continuing forward with a different species and history, became a repeat of the second Earth. To Satan, this meant that time had replayed itself, and so far none of the humans or demons seemed to have recalled the events of the second Earth. After all, everything up to now had played out the exact same way.

 

 

But Jenny remembered. “My powers enable me to see the flow of time in a different manner, sir. After I merged with a human and took you away from the pier, I slowly began to realise what was going on.”

 

“But _why_ didn’t you say anything about it to me?”

 

“I wasn’t sure what happened to the second Earth, sir. I was hoping to ask you about it at the supposed time of your awakening.”

 

Satan frowned again, remembering Jenny had died in the final battle. She would not have known whether they were victorious or not in the battle, or what truly happened in the end. _In that case…_

 

“Well, we lost. Demons and humans were completely wiped out, and I was the last one standing. Naturally, I had no chance against Michael’s army,” Satan told Jenny, who knitted her eyebrows in response.

 

She got up from her knees and crossed her arms. “The worst case scenario, I see. Perhaps we should change our tactics and kill the humans slowly, or-“

 

“I told you I changed my minds about fighting God and killing humans,” Satan cut across her impatiently. “The humans are a pest, but they are not as weak as we first assumed. Of course, you have firsthand experience with that, so you should know.”

 

His words seemed to sting his secretary. There was a moment of silence before she hissed, “In that case, what do you plan to do _now_ , sir?”

 

Satan gave Jenny a good look in the eye.

 

“I’ve seen the error of my ways. The outcome won’t be changed by killing humans.”

 

His voice was cold and absolute. “I will _destroy_ the demons."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was okay. I went to rewatch Crybaby to refresh my memory, hoping I didn't miss anything. Do tell me your comments and thoughts if you have any ^-^)/


	3. Satan's Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had some time. Here's a new chapter, the next one will come tomorrow... Or something. I aim to update quickly as long as I don't have writer's block. Heheh!

 

 

“ _You will d-destroy the demons_?” Jenny gasped in shock. She sank to her knees in disbelief and cried out, “ _Why_? Have you given up on us?” 

 

Satan shook his head, “I just feel that would be the proper way, Jenny. As much as I despise God, I saw the worth in humanity, and since the appearance of demons will very well send the world into a panicked state and set off the course of world apocalypse, I have decided what I must do.”

 

He did not mention that this whole timeline was based on a deal with God, nor did he want to admit the true reason for his decision was due to Akira. Yet Jenny was no fool; she was not a commander of the demons for nothing.

 

“This is all because of Akira Fudo, isn’t it?” A hint of malice could be traced in her voice. “I can sense it,” she added. “Your feelings for Akira have grown _exponentially_ in this timeline.”

 

Satan smiled. Well, there really was no hiding from Jenny. “I won’t lose him again, this time. _Never again!_ ”

 

He then pointed at her and said coldly, “Jenny, you’ve done much for me, and I am grateful for that. _But_. If you want to stop me, then I’ll just have to get rid of you _now_.”

 

There was tension in the air between the blonde teenager and red-haired lady. Both sides glared at each other, silent and unmoving.

 

The door suddenly banged open.

 

“What a luxurious room. It’s not like a hospital at all!”

 

Akira stomped in with his arms outstretched, oblivious to the situation. “How are you, Ryo?” he greeted cheerfully.

 

Jenny and Satan turned towards Akira, one surprised and the other looking like a woman who just saw her lover after a million years of separation.

 

“Akira!” Satan exclaimed, spreading his arms wide to receive Akira’s warm hug. His eyes sparkled and his cheeks were flushed at the sight of Akira’s new appearance, one he hadn’t seen in a long time. Jet-black hair, dark skin and strong muscles, ah-  _the smell of manliness…_

“I’m happy to see you, Ryo,” Akira muttered as they embraced. Satan blushed a little, but he quickly looked away as they let go. “Akira, it’s good to see you looking well,” Satan replied. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jenny shifting to pat away dust from her clothes.

 

“Jenny, let’s talk later, shall we? Right now, I need you to get some food for us,” Satan ordered, acting like nothing had happened between them just minutes ago. Jenny nodded expressionlessly and left the room.

 

Satan then turned back to Akira, who had grabbed a chair to sit beside his bed. “How are you feeling, Ryo?” Akira asked with a concern look, briefly glancing at the cast on Satan’s leg.

 

“I’m fine, I have amazing resilience. I'll heal soon,” Satan replied warmly. In fact, he was already fine by now, but he wore the leg cast just to keep away any suspicions.

 

“I’m glad you’re alive. That bike is amazing.”

 

“It’s a gift for you,” Satan said, remembering that he had instructed Jenny to get Akira a new bike just before the Sabbath event. The bike probably arrived at the Makimura residence while he was still unconscious. “I dragged you into this, and now you’re in trouble. I’m really sorry.” Satan lowered his head in apology.

 

“Stop it, I don’t remember,” Akira said, putting a hand over his head. “I tried to save you and the next thing I knew, my body had changed into this.”

 

Satan frowned, remembering that he had the same conversation with Akira back then on the second Earth. It felt like he was playing a recorder. If he wasn’t careful, he might just fall back into a repeat himself. “I survived because you brought me to this hospital right away.”

 

“What about the others at the Sabbath?” Akira asked worriedly, and Ryo merely replied, “You defeated the devils and saved everyone.”

 

That was a lie, but it was for the best.

 

“I must have done it unconsciously. So it wasn’t a waste that my body turned like this?” Akira asked. He looked at Satan.

 

“Of course not! You have gained the power of demons, but right now you’re still Akira, with the heart of a human. To be precise, you’re now a Devilman!”

 

“ _Devilman_ …” Akira whispered. His gaze turned serious. "The fact that I can sustain a human heart might be coincidence. If I ever hurt others, if I ever lose control of myself, like Professor Fikira… Then please kill me right away. I would rather choose _death_.”

 

Satan sighed. “It’s not a coincidence, Akira. You managed to overcome the demon because your heart is pure.” His voice was full of confidence as he said this, and it made Akira surprised and a tiny bit encouraged.

 

Just then, the doors opened and Jenny strolled in with a tray full of food. As she leaned forward, lifting the covers and preparing the utensils, Akira peeked at her chest, unable to tear his eyes away from her cleavage. Satan caught sight of this, and a hint of jealousy wormed into his chest as he saw the growing bulge in Akira’s pants.

 

“That’s Jenny,” Satan told his best friend through gritted teeth. “She’s my secretary, and you probably don’t remember this, but she was the one who took me away years ago.”

 

Akira gave a surprised shout. “She’s way too erotic!” He gripped at his pants, trying to soothe away his erection. Then he caught sight of the food Jenny had brought in as the smell of freshly cooked, delicious meat wafted into his nostrils.

 

“It’s for you,” Satan pointed out. “You need a lot of energy to fuel that body of yours.”

 

Akira beamed in delight, exclaiming, “Are you sure?”

 

Satan nodded, pleased to see Akira look so happy. As Akira proceeded to feast on the meat, Satan watched on, hoping things would change for the better in this loop.

 

—————————————————————

 

The light of two moons shone brightly in the sky, illuminating the dark hospital room. Akira had gone home, and Satan lay on his bed in the darkness, deep in thought. Jenny was seated in the shadows nearby. She had been quiet for a long time, but as time sprawled on, she finally cleared her throat and spoke.

 

“Lord Satan, is this what you _really_ want?”

 

Jenny’s voice was hushed, but Satan could detect a trace of desperation. 

 

_How could she not?_ She was a demon after all. After all they had been fighting for, after all the things they had been through… Satan was suddenly willing to throw it away.

 

“I’ve made up my mind, Jenny. There is no worth living in a world without Akira. I would choose him over the demons on any day.”

 

“But you don’t have to destroy the demons, my lord. Did you not turn Akira Fudo into a demon so you could be with him together after we take over the Earth? We could find another way.”

 

“And where did that take us in the last loop, Jenny? We failed,” Satan sneered. “I’ve seen enough. Demons by nature are ruthless and ferocious, violent and impulsive. They will not accept going into hiding forever. They are the humans’ natural predator, and they will hunt people until the truth about demons are revealed. When that happens, the same turn of events on the second Earth will just happen again. Co-existence is out of the question too. The two races will just end up going to war, because humans will always fear the demons for their power, and demons will always prey on humans.”

 

Jenny found it hard to refute Satan’s logic. He knew both the nature of humans and demons too well, and he had been around since the beginning of time; he was a being of great wisdom and experience.

 

She sighed in defeat. “So you will betray the demons, just to keep Akira _happy_.”

 

“Yes,” Satan admitted. “I helped the demons twice and lost twice. Now I will give humans a chance, and see where that takes me.”

 

Jenny got up from her seat and walked to the door. “In that case sir, I hope it goes well for you.”

 

The sound of her footsteps echoed in the large room. “Are you leaving me, Jenny?” Satan asked quietly. A stream of light poured in from the crack as Jenny opened the door. She paused.

 

“I have served you since the first Earth, and I have seen you as my lord ever since. I know of the great loneliness in your heart and I felt the grief you had as you watched Akira die.”

 

_Oh, so she was looking through my memories earlier,_ Satan mused.

 

“The demons have been a part of me since I was born into this world, but none of them had ever moved my heart like you did. Even if it means betraying my own brethren... I will still follow you. Thus I will trust in your judgement this time, and continue to serve you until the end.”

 

With that, Jenny left the room, leaving Satan alone in his thoughts once more.

 

————————————————————— 

 

A few days had passed since the Sabbath event.

 

The sky was streaked in gold as a fiery sunset bathed the scenery, casting long dark shadows everywhere. As Satan strode swiftly towards the Makimura residence, he glanced at the setting sun, feeling the gaze of God upon him.

 

_A second chance_ , God had said.

 

Satan knitted his brows as he knocked on the door. He had to take it slow and correct all the mistakes he made before. Even if it were to take decades, he would rid the world of demons as long as he had Akira.

 

The door opened, and Miki Makimura stood before Satan. “Hello,” he greeted with a forced smile. _Akira is close to her, so I should give her a good impression_ , Satan thought. _This way, he’ll be happier._

 

“Hi, you must be _Ryo_ ,” Miki greeted back with a small frown. She still remembered him from the dock, the way he grinned as he shot his machine-gun without a care for human life. It was easy to say that she did not like him, not one single bit. But she was still a girl with manners, so she extended her hand to shake Satan’s, and then leaned backwards to call for Akira.

 

“Coming!” Akira’s voice travelled from above.

 

Satan smirked, his head momentarily filled with images of Akira scrambling to put on a clean shirt. He barely noticed Miki who was eyeing him very carefully.

 

“So you’ve known Akira since he was in nursery, huh?” Miki remarked, trying to get to know Satan better.

 

“Yes, we were best friends since childhood.”

 

Miki saw that Satan’s foot was in a cast, and she had a look of concern. Of course, she did not know that it was just a ploy to hide the fact that Satan had fully healed a while ago.

 

“Can I know where the both of you have been going lately?”

 

Satan glared at her, looking offended. “Why does it matter?” He snapped. “That’s our _business_.”

 

Miki was a little taken aback, but before she could retort, Akira showed up and ran forward to give his best friend a hug.

 

“Ryo! I see you’re looking much better, you don’t even need crutches?” Akira looked curious. Satan shrugged his shoulders. “I heal really fast. I could be out of this cast by tomorrow,” he responded.

 

The two boys then walked out to the side of the road, where Akira had parked his new bike.

 

“Come back home early!” Miki called out and waved as they drove away.

 

————————————————————— 

 

The clouds covered one of the moons, but it was still rather dark and there was barely any vision for Koji Nagasaki as he sat in his makeshift hideout. He had been waiting in a dumpster for two hours, hoping he would be able to find out more about the mysterious loud music that appeared late at night in the abandoned junkyard.

 

As he prepared his infra-red video recorder, he heard the growing noise of a group of people chatting.

 

 “-you whine too much,” a voice clearly growled among the chatter.

 

There was a thud of someone hitting the ground, then more talk and some gunshots. Nagasaki peeped out from the dumpster with his camera recording the whole scene. Through his night-vision goggles, he could see three men surrounding a homeless man, and as he watched, the three men suddenly transformed into huge, grotesque beings.

 

Nagasaki held back a scream, frozen by what he just witnessed.

 

As he looked on, the monstrous creatures chomped down on the poor man, ripping him apart with ease, killing him instantly. They bit into the man’s flesh, savouring the blood and crunching at the bones. They chewed hungrily, eating the man’s organs one by one. It was a gruesome process.

 

Nagasaki felt sick, but he kept filming. Despite the fear and horror, he also knew that if he made it out alive, his life would change. This was a scoop that could change _everything._

 

He would be rich _in an instant!_

 

“Huh? There’s something there.”

 

Nagasaki snapped out of his reverie as he realised one of the monsters walking towards him. He bit back a shriek and lowered himself back into the dumpster, shaking as he felt the footsteps grow closer.

 

_Was this it? His end…_

 

“Hey! You!”

 

A loud voice shouted across the abandoned junkyard, full of anger. Nagasaki flinched as he heard it, feeling as if he knew the owner of the voice. To his relief, the footsteps had stopped and the monster turned towards the newcomer.

 

There were a few exchanges of conversation that Nagasaki could not focus on; he was still recovering from his fear. Regardless, he quickly got up to continue filming for a few minutes before he figured he had enough and got out of the dumpster.

 

_I need to get to my car, I need to get out of here! And then… And then I will be rich!_ Nagasaki laughed to himself, running away from the battle that the monsters had become entangled in.

 

He turned past a corner, his camera tight in his hand. Then he stopped, horrified.

 

A young teenager with blond hair, dressed in full white garment, stood before him.

 

“ _Scum_ ,” the boy snarled, lifting a finger at Nagasaki. Before he could react, he felt something - a wave, or a tremble in the air - push through him. Then his vision blacked out.

 

 

Satan observed as Nagasaki dropped to the ground in multiple shreds, blood splattering everywhere like a watery explosion. He scoffed and walked over the body, pleased that he was able to deal with the menace this early on in the loop. With a flick of his wrist, the camera turned to dust, and the final piece of evidence was destroyed.

 

_The first step is complete,_ Ryo thought smugly, returning to the battle scene where Akira was tearing the demons apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm new to writing fanfics and writing in this site in general, so if there are any improvements, changes or things you feel should be done, (like the paragraphs are too close to each other? It seems like PC and mobile have different appearance) feel free to tell me. 
> 
> Also if I need to update tags or whatnot, just give me a heads up.
> 
> If you want to discuss, I am a rather open person as long as you're nice.  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. The Airport Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Akira's mum time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was too long, so I split into 2 chapters.

 

It was a bright, sunny day as Akira sauntered into the white, spacious room.

 

It was his first time visiting Ryo’s apartment, and  _oh boy_  was he majorly impressed by everything, from the white marble tiles to the valuable white and black furniture that decorated the room, as well as the glass panels around the penthouse.

 

_Ryo sure loves white_ , Akira grinned.

 

He found Satan sitting on a couch, typing away on his laptop. “Ryo,” Akira called out, placing the grocery bag he brought with him onto the table, “here’s your stuff. Are you sure only having Calorie Buddy with be enough?”

 

Satan had been reading his students’ reports all morning. His eyes darted across the screen as he went through the reports at an inhuman pace. He was still a professor in the States for appearances’ sake, so he had to complete his mundane professor chores,  _and_   _besides_ , the money was good.

 

“The form of nourishment doesn’t matter, Akira.”

 

“It feels like you don’t eat at all!  _Why_ , do you even have teeth in that tiny mouth ofyours?”

 

Akira peeled away at the wrapping as he grabbed his favourite burger, then glanced at Satan mischievously. 

 

“Eat this! Open wide!” Akira exclaimed, pulling at Satan’s cheeks. He forced the latter to take a big bite into the burger, and Satan chewed obediently, gulping down the food as he finished through one of his students’ report.

 

“Did you figure out how to use your phone?” Satan asked, receiving a groan in response. “No, not yet,” Akira muttered, munching greedily on his burger.

 

“Well, don’t worry. We have time, I suppose,” Satan dismissed with a wave, ready to start on another report.  _These humans are so stupid_ , he thought crossly as he skimmed through a badly written one. Half of his morning had been wasted by numerous works that he felt like deleting after reading a few sentences.

 

“It’s amazing that you live in such a huge apartment,” Akira pointed out, looking around the room. “How are you earning all the money?”

 

Thoughts of market stock prices, student reports and guns flashed through Satan’s brain. “I’d tell you, but you probably wouldn’t understand,” was the reply.

 

Humming, Akira got up. He had finished his burger and was itching to move his muscles. “You have a great pool,” the black-haired youth pointed out, opening the glass door entrance to the pool outside. “Do you ever swim?”

 

“Not interested,” Satan answered indifferently. He was almost done with his work for the day, and he couldn’t wait to finish. But he also knew Akira wouldn’t take no for an answer.

 

As expected, Akira hopped over to his side, yelling, “what a waste! You should totally swim!”

 

Before Satan could refuse, he found himself being grabbed and pulled by the shoulders. “It’s a crime not to use a pool in a place like this!” Akira shouted excitedly.

 

Satan smiled, remembering the exact scene as before. These were one of the last good memories he had with Akira before the apocalypse happened, back on the second Earth.

 

With a light push, Akira sent Satan straight into the cold water, and then jumped in before Satan could resurface. Instead of being mad, Satan grabbed Akira’s arms instead, making the latter pull him up with a chuckle. “The water’s great! It’s great to be refreshed on a sunny day like this,” Akira laughed.

 

Satan laughed too. “Fine, I can’t disagree with you,” he said, floating just beside Akira. Then he suddenly realised how close he was, and a strange feeling bubbled up in his chest.

 

_This was a good chance._

 

Satan wrapped his arms around Akira wordlessly, leaning his head against Akira’s muscular chest, feeling as if it was what he should do. It felt good being this close to Akira.

 

“Ryo?” Akira uttered in confusion, but he hugged back anyway. He would never reject a hug from his best friend.

 

“It feels nice,” Satan responded, a light blush across his pale cheeks. Then he quickly pulled away and got out of the pool.  Without turning back, Satan said, “you’re always so full of energy, Akira! Go swim a few laps,” and left to get some towels, leaving a bewildered Akira behind.

 

———————————————————————————

 

After a long night of hunting demons, Akira went back with Satan to the penthouse.

 

He was covered in ichor, and he felt  _hungry_  and  _exhausted_. At the same time, he was also contented, feeling as if he did the world justice after ridding it from a dozen demons.

 

After a good shower, Akira sank down onto the couch, waiting for Jenny to serve him some delectable pork ribs and beef tenderloins. _All in a day’s work,_  Akira praised himself lightly.  _A demon a day keeps humanity at bay._

 

“Akira, I think we should be more careful from now on.”

 

Satan was a few feet away from him, and the blonde-haired was preoccupied with his laptop as usual. He seemed to be deep in thought as he studied the screen.

 

“Whatcha doing, Ryo?” asked Akira curiously. At that moment Jenny waltzed in with two huge plates laden with delicious food, and Akira lunged at the dishes as soon as she set them on the table. “God, I love your cooking Jenny,” Akira mouthed.

 

Jenny nodded in response and left the room. Satan then looked up from his device and gave Akira a deep gaze, “I was looking through some files I hacked. It seems my suspicions were  _correct_  — the police know of the existence of demons. Or to be  _precise_ -“ Satan growled, “-they are demons themselves.”

 

Akira stared at Satan with his mouth agape. “Surely not? If all the policemen are demons, then  _everyone_  would be in danger!”

 

“Calm down Akira. It’s just my theory, from the way the files look. And I don’t think all of them are demons yet,” replied Satan. Of course, with knowledge from his previous timeline, this theory was not entirely wrong. He knew that the demons had infiltrated deep into society long ago.

 

Right now, his main focus was to keep Akira a secret from the demons. He aimed to pick them off slowly, one by one, while making sure the demons were in the dark as to how they were losing members.

 

This wasn’t an easy task, and sooner or later the demons would find out. But as long as the humans remained unaware… That was most important.

 

“We have to make sure there are absolutely no witnesses, human or demon,” Satan asserted, watching Akira tear through the pork ribs with his teeth.

 

“It will buy us some time, and make things easier for us. Hopefully, the demons won’t know what hit them until it’s too late.”

 

Akira nodded and said, “Fine, but I don’t want to kill humans. We’ll just have to take extra precaution before we fight those things.”

 

“Yes, well.”

_In any case, I’ll deal with them myself when needed,_ Satan silently told himself, “Just be careful, Akira. Humans or not, the police are looking out anyway for the person behind the deaths of demons, and I am sure the demon forces are too."

 

“Yes, yes,” Akira dismissed, licking at his thumbs. He had just finished his meal, and as he cleaned his fingers with a wet cloth, his phone rang.

 

Satan’s ears perked up. He knew what it was.

 

“That’s your mother. I set that ringtone for her,” he told Akira, who widened his eyes. Akira grabbed his phone in a hurry and picked up the call.

 

“ _Hello_?”

 

“Akira,” a woman’s voice resounded in his ear. Akira gasped and trembled, overjoyed to hear his mother on the other end. It had been so long since he last heard her voice.

 

“Mom, how have you been?” Akira asked, holding back his tears.

 

There was a soft sigh. “I’ve been alright. Listen Akira, I’m on a plane right now and I don’t have much time to speak. Have you heard from your father?”

 

“No,” Akira said, “why, what’s wrong?”

 

Another sigh. “I’m arriving in Tokyo on the 27th, around 2 o’clock in the afternoon. I’ll tell you more when I get there,” Fudo Kaori answered. With that, she cut the call.

 

Akira stared blankly at the phone in his hands, worried. 

 

“I wonder what happened to Dad,” he mumbled. Satan looked on, knowing what was going to happen next. “Akira, I know it won’t sound nice, but I have to say this - you shouldn’t trust your parents. Or anyone around you.”

 

Akira gave him a hard glare.

 

“Anyone could become a demon at anytime, even your own mother or father,” Satan explained coldly. “The only one you should trust is  _me_.”

 

He received another angry glare, but Satan had finished making his point. The fallen archangel knew Fudo Reijiro had already been possessed by the demon  _Jinmen_ by now, and while they could probably make it in time to save Kaori, Reijiro was a lost cause.

 

“Whatever, Ryo. I’m going home,” Akira barked, getting up to leave.

 

Satan exhaled, shaking his head at Akira’s anger.

 

———————————————————————————

 

On the day of Mrs. Fudo’s arrival, Akira got up early and had rice with bonito flakes for breakfast. He was excited to be able to finally see his mother again after so long, and he ate well before leaving, wearing the blue sneakers that his mother had sent him a few months ago.

 

Satan arrived at 9 o’clock sharp in his white  _Mitsuoka Orochi_ , and as they sped to the airport, they made small talk and light jokes. Akira also mentioned his parents and how rare it was for his mother to call while Satan merely listened; aside from God, he never had any experience with parents, and his Father did not exactly have a good relationship with him either ever since Satan rebelled.

 

They reached the airport early and loitered around the waiting area, making more casual conversation. As Satan watched the clock ticking closer to 2 o’clock, he decided to change topics.

 

“Akira, I’ve been having a bad feeling since we got here,” the blonde youth announced. He easily caught Akira’s attention.

 

“What do you mean, Ryo?”

 

“What I mean,” Satan began, “is that I have had an  _intuition_  of sorts. I think we should head to the maintenance area.” He broke into a run, heading towards the hangar nearby, remembering where they had encountered Jinmen before.

 

“Ryo, wait!” Akira quickly caught up. “Are you sure about this? We could get into trouble with security,” he pointed out.

 

“There’s no time. Just follow me,” Satan hissed. He knew they wouldn’t be in trouble, because he was sure the airport was already under demonic control. After all, Jinmen was able to snuck into the hangar in the previous loop without causing a ruckus in the first place. Security was probably non-existent here.

 

When they got to their destination, the hangar was empty. Satan looked around, confused. It seemed that Jinmen was not here yet.  _Then_ …

 

“Look, Ryo. There’s nothing here, you’re just being sil-  _hey,_ where are you going now?  _Wait up_!”

 

They ran out to the empty field and to the airplane tracks. A plane had just landed nearby, and passengers were boarding the shuttle bus back to the airport.

 

“There! I can sense  _something_  in the bus, Akira!” shouted Satan as he ran towards it. Akira was puzzled, but he just went with it and ran ahead, reaching the shuttle bus in seconds. He queued up behind some passengers as he waited for Satan to catch up, ignoring the weird looks he was receiving. Then as the two teenagers boarded the bus, Akira spotted his mother standing a few feet away, much to his delight.

 

“ _Mom_!”


	5. The Airport Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airport drama, special guest appearance, some violence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 done! Will update the next chapter in one or two days.

 

** The Only and Final Chance - Chapter 5 **

The Airport Part 2

 

 

 

Mrs. Fudo jerked her head to the left in huge astonishment. “Akira, is that you?” She called out.

Akira beamed enthusiastically, pushing past a few disgruntled passengers before he reached her side. “I can’t believe you’re finally here,” he breathed.

She looked the same as ever, with her short, neat haircut, white rimmed glasses and sturdy attire. “Me neither.  _How_  did you get in here?” Mrs. Fudo asked incredulously. 

“I just-“ Akira started before a few screams from the back of the bus sounded. It caught everyone’s attention, and Satan glowered beside the bus driver as he could see the source of the commotion. 

A familiar face peeked over the crowd, and as Mrs. Fudo and Akira looked on, more frantic screams erupted. Blood splattered on the glass windows and cushion seats as the face neared, and the words “Kaori...” were barely audible over the noise.

Finally recognising the face, Mrs. Fudo screamed, “No, darling!” She gripped her son‘s arm in horror. Beside her, Akira was frozen in shock. 

 _Dad_? His brain was in a daze. It couldn’t be. No...

“Kaori!” Mr. Fudo yelled, impaling another man in his way with a long, sharp and thick tail trailing from his back. By now the passengers on board were confused and horrified, pushing against each other, trying to get out of the way. Yet the bus continued driving and the doors did not open; unbeknownst to the people onboard, their driver was suffering from demon influence.

“Akira!” Satan shouted over the commotion. “People are going to die if you don’t defeat that demon!” He was stuck at the front of the vehicle, blocked by a few desperate passengers, unable to squeeze his way forward to Akira, who remained despondent. A few people were clawing and scratching at the driver,  pleading him to stop the bus and open the doors, but the man kept on driving blankly with an iron grip on the steering wheel. 

There were more cries of death. Mrs. Fudo wept in fear.

“Kaori... and Akira. How wonderful... both of you are here!” Mr. Fudo crept closer, a chilling smile plastered on his face. Blood dripped from his hands and clothes. 

“Dad... it can’t be.  _I refuse to believe it_!” Akira howled. Finally snapping awake to face the truth, Akira yelled to the heavens as he began to transform. His muscles bulged out as his skin turned grey, his bones cracking and reforming as his body changed. Small black wings and a pair of antennae sprouted from the sides of his head, while his hands and feet shifted into claws. 

Mrs. Fudo was stupefied. “Akira,  _you are_ -?!”

Standing right before her was a tall beast that terrorised everyone around him, but somehow, she was not afraid as she should be. “ _Amazing_! You are also... I... I will have fun eating you,” Mr. Fudo half-shouted in a deranged state, clapping his hands ecstatically as he neared, killing the remaining humans standing between father and son. 

The Devilman’s tears were falling. 

“The world is so cruel... to have done this to me. But I  _won’t_  give up on you, Dad! Please... you can fight it.  _Fight it!_ ” Akira clenched his fists, voicing his determination. “I was possessed by a demon but I overcame it and kept my heart! I became a Devilman! You can do it too, Dad!”

Mrs. Fudo covered her mouth and sobbed. She turned to her husband and begged, “Reijiro! Listen to our son, he’s right! Stay strong!”

Even the remaining few people behind her yelled and waved their fists in the air.

“Sir,  _fight it!_ ”

“You can do it, Reijiro!”

With the cries of encouragement from the small pool of survivors, the words of his wife and child, and the living proof that it was possible to overcome the demon inside him, Reijiro groaned and yelled as he clutched his head, doing his best to force out the influence of Jinmen.  _Get out, get out_ , Reijiro screamed in his head. Somewhere in him, he could feel a violent and angry force, twisting and turning in pain. 

Satan observed quietly, not expecting this turn of events. While he could really care less about the fates of Reijiro and Kaori, the fact that Akira would be much happier with them alive made him consider giving Mr. Fudo a hand.  _As long as the tail is destroyed, Jinmen would not be able to kill Mr. Fudo and he would be overwhelmed by the human resolve,_  such thoughts ran through his mind.

Before he could tell Akira about the tail, however, there was a loud bang and everyone was sent flying in the bus. Some crashed onto the glass windows; a few landed on the seats or floors. Smoke and darkness filled the area. 

“What the hell-?” Akira snarled, getting up from his spot. He had grabbed his mother in the nick of time, protecting her from serious harm, but she still passed out from the strong impact. 

Satan pushed aside an unconscious body lying on top of him, groaning. Some broken shards of glass were lodged into his shoulder. His human body was too fragile for such events. “We must’ve crashed into the hangar,” he hissed, wiping away some blood from his forehead, glancing at the driver who was dead from the impact.

Amidst the groans of the injured, Akira could make out the silhouette of his father through the smoke. Without thinking, he dashed forward, worried for his father. That was a mistake. 

“ _Gahhh_!” Mr. Fudo rose with quick fury, stabbing through Akira’s chest deeply with his bladed tail.

It was no longer Mr. Fudo in control; the crash had sent him backwards, knocking the man unconscious and letting Jinmen assume full control.

Akira spit out a mouthful of ichor, his eyes wide with shock. He had just realised what happened, and he gripped at the tail weakly, moaning, “Dad...”

Tears spilled from his father’s face, but it was Jinmen’s voice that spoke. “The rumoured Devilman, so it was true. You’ve been killing many of my brothers, and you shall die by my hand today.  _I’ll make a good death mask out of you_!”

Akira was slipping from consciousness, ichor spilling from his mouth and chest. Another flick of Jinmen’s extended tail, and Akira would be dead. But Satan was not here for nothing. 

“ _Imbecile_!” he roared, sending a furious wave of light towards Jinmen, toppling the demon.  With the blink of an eye, he shed his human skin and unfurled his wings, revealing the true appearance of the Lord of Devils. White light and golden sparkles radiated his surroundings, revealing his glory and beauty as he stood up, displaying his marble white skin, a crown of shining golden hair and crystal blue eyes, and all six of his wingspans stretched to the limit. His transformation had blown away the wreckage and debris around him, and his light illuminated the hangar brightly, revealing everything and everyone in it. Most of the remaining survivors who were on the bus were unconscious, while the others had succumbed to their injuries.

A middle-aged lady who was still alive gasped at the sight of Satan, but a silent beam zapped through her skull, killing her on the spot.

“L-Lord Satan!” Jinmen yelled in fear and awe. He instantly pulled his tail out of Akira’s chest and cast the Devilman aside, landing on his knees, bowing with respect. But Satan was having none of that. 

“ _Piss off,_ ” the archangel snarled, slicing his hand through the air. An unseen force hurled through the room, slicing away Jinmen’s limbs and tail. The demonic turtle yelped in pain, ichor gushing out like a fountain. 

“Lord Satan,  _why_ -?!”

Jinmen slumped to the ground, unable to move. His expression was full of horror, and Satan could see his own reflection swimming in the demon’s eyes as he glided towards Jinmen. 

Satan lifted a finger towards Jinmen’s head. “It’s simple, you weak excuse of a monster.” There was a  _click_  and Jinmen felt his head burning and growing bigger, as if great pressure was forcing its way out of his brain. A mixture of blood and ichor oozed out from his nostrils and ears. “ _My lord!_   _P_ - _please_   _forgive_   _m_ -“

The sound of a loud  _crack_  resounded through the hangar. 

“You have  _offended_ me,” Satan whispered to no-one in particular, looking at the shattered remains of what Jinmen or Mr. Fudo once was. His gaze was still full of anger, but he folded his wings to the sides. 

He turned back to the wreckage of the bus, hurrying to Akira’s side.

Akira was lying half-naked in a pool of blood and ichor; his body had already transformed back into his human form. Desperation filled Satan’s heart as he checked the gaping wound; it was a clean hole in the middle of Akira’s chest. He could see Akira’s heart beating from the outside. 

“ _No_ ,” Satan whispered in horror. He noticed it immediately - Akira’s wound was not healing. He was slipping away from him. He was dying. This, this cannot be...  _it can’t be happening!_

He sank to his knees weakly in disbelief. Tears streaked down his marble white cheeks as he gripped Akira in his arms, praying that he was wrong, hoping with all his might that Akira would begin to heal. “Akira,  _no_!”

Akira did not open his eyes, nor was he breathing. 

“I can’t lose you- not yet,  _not again_ -“ Satan choked, his heart breaking, “-I can’t do this without  _you_! Please, Akira, don’t leave me…”

No change.

“I’m so sorry, please wake up…I beg you...”

Still no response.

_“Akira!”_

There was no miracle for the dying Devilman.

There was no miracle for Satan.

Did he fail? A million  _what-ifs_  went through his head.  _What if he had killed Jinmen sooner? What if he had never led Akira here in the first place?_

Why did he fail? How could he have not? So early on in his second chance, and yet he did. He had to lose Akira again, he had to bear the pain again-

Satan threw back his head and cried.

“ _Sigh_.” Loud, crisp footsteps resonated in the hangar, and there was another bright light.

Satan felt a shiver up his spine and he turned to the source of footsteps, instinctively knowing. “ _Michael_?” he sobbed, holding Akira closely towards his bosom, letting Akira’s soft brown hair brush against his skin.

“Lucy,” Archangel Michael greeted sullenly. His light was radiant, and his golden armour gleamed, encrusted with a dozen jewels of every hue. He was the mirror image of Satan, with a tad more muscle. He knelt beside his fallen brother, brushing away the tears from Satan’s cheeks. “You are really bad at this.”

Satan was not in the mood for Michael’s snarky comments. “Help me, Michael, I  _implore_  you,” Satan pleaded desperately.

He had long lost the power to heal others ever since he left his Father’s grace, but Michael could. Michael was a great healer!

The archangel looked smug. “To think you’d be begging me like this, Lucy. I never would’ve thought,” he said. But he wasted no more time.

He placed a gold gloved hand over the gaping hole in Akira’s chest, softly chanting in a language that only Satan could understand. There was a longing in his heart as he listened; it had been a long time since he last heard the song of an angel.

A warm, gentle ball of light erupted from Michael’s palm, enveloping Akira’s body. Satan gave a sharp cry as he watched the skin grow and mend itself, and soon every single wound on Akira’s body disappeared.

When Michael was done, Akira coughed a few times before he started breathing again. Satan was overjoyed. “Akira,” he called out, relieved. His gaze turned soft and he looked at Michael.

“...Thank you.”

Michael lifted his eyebrows. “Still a moment of hesitation, huh? I guess you weren’t as grateful as I thought you’d be.”

Satan rolled his eyes. “The fact that I could even say it to you, after all you’ve  _done to me_ \- surely that means something!”

“Point taken.” Michael shrugged. He got up to his feet, patting away imaginary dust. “Since my work here is done, I shall take my leave,” he added.

 

Making sure Akira was completely fine, Satan laid his love onto the concrete floor and turned to Michael. “ _Wait_ , Michael. What were you doing here in the first place?”

 

“I was watching you, of course. Father said I was to _monitor_ you, and so I have been ever since you awakened your memories.”

 

“What!” Satan felt like his privacy had been invaded by a bug. “You’ve been- _urgh,_  s-so you saw _everything_?”

 

Michael nodded. “Don’t be so anxious, brother. I’m a silent observer, I won’t intervene unless I need to, or _choose_ to.”

 

He glanced at Akira. “Just like _right now_ ,” he added.

 

Satan looked away sheepishly. If Michael had not chosen to involve himself, Akira would have died, and there was no way Satan could handle that. He decided it would be better if Michael was around.

 

“Why did you help me, anyway?” Satan asked, a mixture of curiosity and gratitude in his tone. Michael had clearly noticed it, and he smirked.

 

“Well, _dear brother_ , you certainly still have questionable morals and actions. But I know you’re trying to change. So I’ll help you out, as long as you have the heart.”

 

Satan didn’t notice Michael blushing. He was too busy having his attention on Akira.

 

“Try to stop killing humans though,” Michael added as an afterthought, before he dissolved into a shower of light and sparkles, disappearing from view.

 

———————————————————————————

 

When Akira woke up moments after Michael left, he found himself in the hangar, along with a small group of unconscious people. His mother was among them, looking like she was sleeping peacefully.

 

“Ryo?”

 

Akira’s voice echoed. The only light in the empty hangar came from the large crack near the entrance, where the bus had crashed into. But ever since Akira became the Devilman, his vision was stellar even in the darkness.

 

“Akira, you’re finally up.” Satan was just behind him. He had returned to his human form. His face lit up at the sight of Akira finally awake, and he held himself back from jumping to hug his love.

 

“Yeah,” Akira rubbed at his eyes. “What happened? I, I can’t… remember, things are fuzzy.” But no sooner did he say that when the sudden rush of memories came back to him - his mother... and father!

 

“Ryo, where’s my dad?!” Akira got up, shouting. He looked around frantically, wings sprouting from his back.

 

“ _Woah_ , calm down Akira. First we need to get out of he-“

 

“Dad!!” Akira yelled, ignoring Satan. He ran around the hangar, looking for signs of his father. It was then that he noticed a puddle of blood and ichor. Tufts of brown hair, pieces of human skin and flesh, as well as torn pieces of the clothes his father once wore, were floating in the pool. Akira teared up.

 

“ _Noooo_!” He howled, holding his head tightly with his hands.

 

Satan knew they could not waste anymore time; the people or demons in charge of the place would be here soon. Without much thought, he threw himself at Akira, wrapping his arms around the devastated boy.

 

“Akira, we don’t have time for this! More demons or innocent humans could be here _any minute now_ , we can’t delay! _Think of your mother!_ ” Satan reminded, hugging Akira with all his might, wishing he could help take the pain away.

 

The moment his mother was mentioned, Akira jolted. “You’re… right,” the Devilman muttered. He staggered backwards as Satan let go. “I’m sorry, Dad... please forgive me.”

 

After one last look at his father’s remains, Akira spun around and ran towards his mother, picking her up with ease and carrying her on his broad shoulders. He tucked away his wings and beckoned Satan to follow him. Quickly, they snuck away from the airport as the sun began to set.

 

Of course, they did not go unnoticed. From the shadows near the hangar, the demoness Aleda, a close partner to Jinmen watched, gritting her teeth.

 

_There was so much she was going to report to Lord Zennon later._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this chapter count as angst?
> 
> I plan to have more Michael in future. There's not much of him around, and I really like Michael-Satan interactions. Also I guess the plot is finally picking up? This is probably where time begins to diverge from the previous loop.
> 
> Love you guys~


	6. Turning Point 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As tagged, there is smut/sex/porn in my story. This chapter will have sex. This is the first time I have ever truly written something explicit, so I hope it isn’t too weird or anything. I wrote it because I got horny from drawing all the NSFW Ryokira stuff during my writer’s block yesterday ahahha~

It had been a few days since the airport incident. 

 

After Mrs. Fudo was brought to Satan’s apartment, Akira and Satan talked about what happened and what they had to do from now on. 

 

Satan lied to Akira, saying that Devilman had gone into a blind rage and killed Jinmen, but in doing so he had saved his mother’s life. This was to ease Akira’s pain. 

 

He postulated that the other survivors in the bus crash had been taken away by demons, as no news about them had appeared.

 

Next, he discussed what they had to do with Mrs. Fudo. 

 

Akira was adamant in keeping her away from Ryo, subconsciously knowing the latter would kill his mother if he deemed it necessary. He argued that they should move her to the Makimura’s, and that she should not be kept in the dark about the whole demon charade.

 

So after hours of shouting at each other, Satan finally relented. He then sat down with Mrs. Fudo in his lavish white living room and talked to her about the existence of demons, the incident with her husband and how Akira had become the Devilman. He listened impatiently as she broke down from the trauma of the incident, the revelation of demons and what her son had become. Mrs. Fudo had also berated Satan for bringing her only son to the Sabbath party, yet thanked him for his care of Akira this whole time.  

 

Lastly she agreed to keep everything a secret, and promised to never speak a word to the Makimuras when she moved over the next day. 

 

It was a tough moment that Satan wished he didn’t have to go through again. As he watched Akira leave with her, he sighed and thanked the world that he never had a mother. 

 

—————————————————————

 

In a dark hall, a large crowd gathered, their silhouettes illuminated by the light from a giant screen before them. 

 

They would have looked like simple men and women watching a boring movie, if not for the various shapes and sizes of the viewers, focusing intently on a clip of Akira and Ryo carrying a woman away as the boys exited the hangar. On some of them, long appendages with suckers or blades poked out of different spots on the body, while others were spotted with holes, or covered in spikes, or even wrapped in fur. 

 

That’s right - this was a demon gathering, or more precisely a demon council, where most of the mid to high ranking demons met up once in a while.

 

Once the clip ended, hushed voices whispered like a ripple through the crowd. Many of them were angry or in disbelief, and when the buzzing noise of demons grew louder there was a loud knock on the wall. The demons went silent instantly. 

 

“As you can see, my fellow demons,” a man with black hair that covered a part of his face spoke, “the demon Jinmen was found dead inside the hangar after these two humans left.” He was known as Zei, the main part of the 3 demons that Zennon was made up of, the other two being Non and Nuga. Together the three ruled the council as co-leaders, and when merged they would become the Grand Demon General Zennon, who was second in command of Satan’s devil army.

 

“After gathering more intel, we have found the identity of these two _pests_. One of them is Akira Fudo, who fits the description of the rumoured Devilman who has been murdering our kin. The other is just a normal ant who has some influence in the world, but he’s likely just a lackey to the Devilman.”

 

Non had the appearance of an old geezer, and he was seated on the right of Zei. The former cleared his throat and added, “while we do not have footage of what happened inside the hangar, we do have the knowledge that this Devilman bears the power of Amon” —the crowd gasped and whispered among themselves at this— “and he will continue rampaging and killing demons until we stop him.”

 

Amon, once known as the most powerful demon that lived. The champion of Satan, whose power was greater than all but the fallen archangel. Only Psycho Jenny and Zennon could hope to match up to Amon. 

 

“Your concerns are not without merit,” Nuga who was on Zei’s left screeched. She had a high-pitched voice and it was honestly difficult to take her seriously at times. “Amon was the most powerful of us all, but to think he was defeated by a _human_! We can’t possible confront him head-on, so I suggest we subjugate him by taking his pet human hostage.”

 

There were some murmurs of agreement from the crowd. 

 

As the council discussed, a woman stood up. All eyes were cast onto her as she did, and Zei frowned. “Yes, Silene?”

 

“Lord Zei,” she replied, “I humbly request to be given permission to take this matter into my own hands. I will have Kaim, Agwel and Gelmar assist me.”

 

She was the powerful bird demon Silene, famous for her unmatched beauty and ferocity. As a minor general, she had a few underlings, and her presence was always noted by others.  

 

Seeing her determination, Zei nodded. “Very well, Silene. But should you fail, we will proceed with the original plan.”

 

—————————————————————

 

Akira had been hanging over at Satan’s penthouse quite often lately. 

 

Ever since the death of his father, he turned angry and bloodthirsty easily, often going out to find demons to kill. Sometimes he would even take Satan’s list and act alone, letting Satan worry until Akira got back after midnight, covered in ichor from head to toe. Satan would then carry Akira to the spare bedroom beside his own, letting Akira rest until morning came. Sometimes, he would sneak a kiss on Akira’s forehead. 

 

Akira was clearly suffering from his traumatic experience, but Satan was not without pain either. He had become slightly more possessive and distressed whenever Akira left his side. Ever since he almost lost Akira at the hangar, he promised himself never to let that happen again, and yet he also forced himself to hold back — he could not let Akira feel suffocated. While he would very much have liked to just keep Akira inside the penthouse, Satan knew Akira had to leave to vent his frustrations. He did not want Akira to hate him.

 

Because of this, there was an internal struggle inside his heart, making him feel as if he could be strangled by his own emotions. It was weird yet frightening; Satan had never really felt like it. It was different from the sharp pain of losing Akira, but more of a dull aching affliction that lingered when Akira was away.

 

Then one night, everything changed. 

 

It began after another of Akira’s rampages, when Akira decided to storm back into the penthouse after a long night. Satan was doing his professor‘s thesis when Akira yelled, “Ryo! Just what do I _do_?!”

 

Satan put his laptop aside and hurried to the entrance, seeing Akira drenched in ichor as usual. His heart skipped a beat at the sight, happy that Akira was finally back.

 

“Come, Akira. It’s okay. I’ll bring you to the shower,” Satan said. He was going to let Akira lean onto his shoulder, but somehow he slipped, his body falling forward. With quick reflexes, Akira grabbed Satan and pulled him into his arms, making sure his friend was alright. He heaved a sigh of relief. But Satan was still buried in his chest, a hand clutching on the Devilman’s nether regions. 

 

“Woah, the- the floor must be slippery,” Satan tried to laugh it off, but his cheeks were flushed. Being so near Akira made him feel giddy; he could smell Akira’s strong manly scent. He removed his hand with an apologetic chuckle. 

 

“Uh-huh,” Akira made sure Satan was fine before he let go. There was a moment of awkwardness in the air. Then...

 

“I’m fine. Let’s get you to the shower,” Satan finally shattered the silence. He brought Akira to the bathroom and quickly walked away, heading towards his bedroom.

 

_I hope he didn’t see it_ , Satan thought, cheeks burning red from embarrassment. He waltzed into his room without bothering to lock the door. A sudden idea came to him, and Satan climbed onto his bed after tearing off his clothes impatiently. His body was becoming hot, and there was a growing arousal in the pit of his stomach. The memory of Akira was still fresh in his mind, and he wanted to enjoy it.

 

As he pulled away his boxers, his cock sprang free, no longer bound by the restricting cloth. He was panting, and he reached out a hand to touch his erect manhood, gasping at the touch. 

 

He had not done this for a long time. But for some reason tonight, he wanted to. Was it because of basic human impulses? Perhaps it was because of Akira’s smell triggering his sexual instincts? Or the fact that he had accidentally grabbed Akira’s large manhood in his fall? 

_It doesn’t matter anymore!_ Satan shook his head and imagined Akira before him _._ He had always longed for Akira, desiring the touch of Akira’s fingers on his body. _So sensitive_... Satan thought, drawing his fingers around the tip. _Akira_... 

 

He pumped himself as he thought of the dirty things Akira could do to him. Kissing his lips, biting his neck, playing with his nipples...

 

Small moans escaped his lips. A dying need to reach the climax engulfed him. Tears escaped his eyes as he touched himself, abandoning logic and reason. 

 

—————————————————————

 

It didn’t take long for Akira to finish showering. 

 

He was just casually walking back to the kitchen to grab a snack when he heard something coming from Satan’s room. Curious, he tiptoed over and peeked through the crack of the doorway. 

 

Behold a sight to see, his best friend lying naked on the bed, fingers running over his throbbing mast and sensitive pink nipples! How he panted and moaned as he stroked his member, while his hair was a mess, narrowly hiding his desperate, blue eyes. Akira was absolutely stunned by the view. He watched with his mouth agape, unable to process what he was seeing until he heard Satan moan, “Akira!”

 

Akira’s heart skipped a beat. _Could he have misheard?_ No, it wasn’t possible, but... 

 

“A-Akiraaa, ah-!”

 

_Oh heavens_ , Ryo was absolutely saying his name! That could only mean one thing — he was the object of his best friend’s fantasies! But _why_? What...

 

Undeniably confused and still very amazed, Akira stood at the doorway like a wooden board, unable to tear his eyes off Satan. It felt very wrong, because he always thought of Ryo as his best friend and also as a guy, but at the same time there was a hot, tingling sensation in his lower regions, as if a dragon was waking up, itching to roar... 

 

Was he into guys after all? No, that couldn’t be right. He had been watching porn of females with large busts ever since he knew how the internet worked.

 

Yet he was growing harder by the minute. And Ryo did look very sexy. In fact, he always thought Ryo was quite a good looking person, who could actually pass off as a beautiful girl with the right hairstyle and make up.

 

Okay, that mental image was not helpful. He was still very much aroused. 

 

_Goddamnit_!!

 

“Akira?”

 

Akira blinked. He realised that Satan had noticed him peeking through the crack, and the blonde had quickly covered his body with a white duvet, looking flabbergasted. At the sight of seeing the normally cold and composed Ryo so unstable, something suddenly clicked inside Akira’s head. 

 

“Ryo...”

 

_He... he looks_ _vulnerable_. Akira gulped. _He looks delicious._

 

Akira’s thoughts were muddled, losing proper reason; Amon was starting to influence him. He asked, “Why were you calling my name?”

 

The dark-haired minor pushed the door wide open and walked in slowly. His gaze was fixed on Satan, who spluttered, “Akira, I c-can explain...”

 

_Eat him_ , a voice hissed in Akira’s head. _Take him, dominate his body_.

 

Akira forced the duvet out of Satan’s trembling hands, smirking as his eyes feasted on every part of Satan. He kneeled on the bed, pushing Satan back down on the covers. “Were you into me this whole time?”

 

It was a question that made Satan turn as red as a tomato. The fallen archangel could feel a surge of adrenaline running through his veins, but he didn’t understand why. He turned his head to the side, unwilling to admit, but Akira climbed over him on all fours and said, “Tell me the truth, Ryo.”

 

Satan’s heart was beating fast. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _This was it.._.

 

“I... I have always _loved_ you, Akira. Ever since we were children, I knew you were the one for me.”

 

_Good lord_ , that sounded so cheesy. Satan grimaced at his own answer, but at the same time, he also felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his chest. He had finally told Akira about his feelings. He managed to confess!

 

“For real, Ryo?” Akira was so surprised, his head cleared momentarily, forgetting his lust. He looked into Satan’s eyes, gazing deep into them, searching. He didn’t need to look far. He could see it, feel it. 

 

Ryo truly loved him.

 

“I love you,” Satan answered, a hint of sadness and hope in his voice. _Ever since the second loop, I had realised_...

 

“I thought love didn’t exist, I never believed in it at all. No, perhaps I feared it too, it was a human weakness... but I was wrong. It took some time, but I realised I had completely fallen for you.”

 

Tears welled up in his eyes. It was the truth of his heart that he had always wanted to tell Akira, but the last time he said it out aloud, Akira had already died. This time, however, Akira was very much alive and well. This time, he was able to make it. 

 

“Ryo,” Akira’s gaze softened. He brushed away Satan’s tears and smiled. “I never knew you had this side to you. I guess it’s different from everything I have seen, and I’m... well, frankly I am quite surprised.”

 

Satan sighed and looked deeply into the pair of brown eyes above him. “You were the one who taught me what it meant to fall in love,” he cupped Akira’s cheeks gently, “and I chose you.”

 

There was a moment of silence between them, then Satan lifted his head and gave Akira a kiss. 

 

Akira kissed back. 

 

Their lips brushed against each other, slow and tender; Satan’s hands moved towards the back of Akira’s head, feeling the latter’s hair through his fingers. There was a sweet lingering taste as they caressed, and the moment slowly grew heated, the passion climbing as seconds passed. Tongues clashed and hands roamed; there was a gasp of delight as Akira took Satan’s length into his hands, and it escalated from there. 

 

Lust and love intertwined, sending the duo into a trance. Akira teased at the blonde’s perked nipples, his tongue dancing in circles around Satan’s areolae while pumping his manhood; Satan moaned loudly while clawing at Akira’s back, begging and crying for more. As they continued, Akira’s features became darker, and he pulled away his clothing before moving down to lick Satan’s erection. Even though it was his first time doing this, the _Amon_ part inside him had all the experience he needed.

 

“ _Gahhh_ , Akira! I want it inside, put it inside me,” Satan pleaded, trying to spread his bottom cheeks wide. His attention had gone entirely towards Akira’s huge cock, and he wanted it badly. He was so open, so inviting; Akira had to muster full self-control to stop himself from just plunging in immediately. Instead, he dipped his fingers with his own saliva, pushing them into Satan, working slowly and making sure the blonde was loose enough to take him.

 

When Akira decided he could hold back no longer, he took his own gigantic length and rammed in, pushing the wind out of Satan’s lungs. There was a slicing pain and probably some warm blood, but the fallen angel could care less. The only thing that mattered to him now was — he had finally joined with Akira!

 

Tears of happiness fell. He held Akira closely to him, moaning and whispering his lover’s name. He wished this moment could last forever.

 

“Sorry, did I hurt you? Is this your first time, Ryo?” Akira growled in a low voice, thrusting very slowly as he realised he had torn Satan, regardless of the preparation he gave.

 

“It’s fine, Akira. There are no more words I can say to describe my happiness. Please don’t stop,” Satan replied, kissing Akira’s neck softly.

 

And with the permission Satan gave, Akira held back no longer. He moved, sliding in and out of Satan, groaning from the pleasure of his best friend’s insides tightly sucking at him, the rush of energy and ecstasy clouding his reason. In his mind, there was only him and Ryo, and the love they were making.

 

Nothing else mattered.

 

“ _Ah!_ ” Satan cried as Akira hit a sweet spot inside him. Knowing what it was, Akira grinned, making sure to focus his full force onto it, sending Satan into heavenly bliss. His voice and constant moans were a delight to Akira’s ears, and as they went on, Akira could feel himself nearing the peak.

 

“I’m going to cum inside you, Ryo,” Akira warned, his pace quickening. Satan nodded and his grip around Akira’s waist tightened; he too could feel something powerful coming.

 

He had never felt this way before.

 

In his billions of years, Satan had never really laid with another. There was no one equal, no one worthy. He had no interest in intimacy. Lust was merely a basic and impulsive feeling, and because he was never attracted to any other   being, he seldom experienced it. He was beautiful, powerful and proud; all others but God were beneath him.

 

So yes, it was his first time.

 

“Akira, I can feel it,” Satan said, digging his fingers into the Devilman’s back. His hips thrusted forward in desperation, wanting Akira to go deeper and faster. “It’s coming, _it’s coming_ , don’t stop- I _want_ to-“

 

“Ryo!” Akira hissed. Wings sprouted from his back as a powerful climax engulfed him; he gave one last thrust and a huge load burst forth, filling Satan’s insides full.

 

Unable to hold back any longer, Satan screamed hard as his own orgasm came smashing down. His vision blanked out, his body shook and trembled as the sensation rippled and spread through his veins, and he shot a good amount while Akira pumped _gallons_ into him — it was the most overwhelming feeling he ever had, and it felt so _good_.

 

Satan’s breathing was ragged and his mind in temporary disarray, while his wings twitched as he recovered from his climax. It felt like an eternity while it lasted, but as the pleasure ebbed away and strength slowly returned to his limbs, he kissed Akira again, tasting the sweat and tears on the boy’s lips.

 

_So this was what love was like_ —

 

“Akira?” Satan looked up, sensing something amiss.

 

He realised Akira was illuminated by a bright light. No, the whole room was. He held a hand to Akira’s cheek in confusion, and that was when he realised it. 

 

_He was in his true form!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write mainly on my phone. If there are mistakes do poke me when you see any. 
> 
> Please leave comments if you like my story... it makes me feel a lot happier :3


	7. Just Be Casual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Act like nothing happened.

 

 

Satan shifted on the bed, his body lucent. His twelve wings were covered in glowing feathers, the plumage thick and silky. His eyes sparkled with shades of blue - the inner iris a dark sapphire with an outer ring of turquoise blue, the orbs reminding Akira of the two moons in the sky. His hair had changed into shining golden curls, growing past his shoulders. His features had become sharper and his skin snow-white. Last but not least, Akira found two soft mounds on his best friend’s chest, and — was that a pussy between Ryo’s legs, just below his dick?

 

_What the hell._

 

Akira sat up on the bed, eyeing Satan with a look that shifted between shock and amazement.

 

The latter looked dismayed and embarrassed, half in a mind to turn away and hide his face in the pillows. Instead, he continued to lie on the bed like a full-blown display that had accidentally unveiled itself way ahead of time. 

 

“Akira,” Satan started after a long silence. The truth was, he didn’t know what to say. It was too sudden; he was not prepared, and judging by the look on Akira’s face, the dark-haired boy was close to having a mental breakdown.

 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Akira, I know this is probably too much for you to handle, but-“

 

“Are you a demon _too_?” Akira blurted out. 

 

_Do I look like one?_ Satan thought crossly, feeling a slight bit insulted. In a normal situation, he probably would have made snide remarks about Akira’s intelligence, but considering the matter Satan merely replied, “I am not. I am a different being entirely.”

 

Akira gulped, knitting in brows in concentration as he racked his brains. Satan could just imagine Akira’s brain going into overdrive as the internal gears creaked.

 

“If you’re not a demon, then... you must be an angel,” Akira finally arrived at the conclusion. _Bingo!_ Satan raised an eyebrow. _That took you long enough._

 

The angel held his wings close to his body as he got up and reached for Akira’s hand. “Akira,” Satan began in a hushed voice. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you,” he brushed another hand against Akira’s cheek lovingly, “but I am not just an angel. I am a _fallen_ angel.”

 

It took a while to sink in. “A fallen angel?” Akira asked, thinking about the Bible. Living in the Makimura household, he was no stranger to the stories in the holy book.

 

A thought crossed his mind, but he did not dare confirm it. Yet. 

 

“How long have you known about this? I m-mean, have you been an angel ever since the Sabbath, or since the beginning? Are you even the Ryo I met and knew?” Akira stammered, staring at Satan, who sighed and leaned back against the headboard. 

 

“I am the same boy you helped at the pier, Akira. I have never changed, not really. Though I was always an angel... I just didn’t know it, until I saw you transform at the Sabbath party.”

 

“What do you mean, Ryo?”

 

“Well,” Satan tried to explain, “my memories had been locked away. I had died, and when I was born into this world, I could not remember my true self until...now.”

 

He went on to explain, “Akira, the world is not as it seems. Each of the two moons in the sky represent an Earth that was destroyed millions of years ago. In both Earths, demons overran the planet, and God had nothing but contempt for them. After wiping the Earth and killing all demons, they lived on as pure will, waiting and abiding time until they could merge with a new existence.”

 

Akira nodded slowly, trying to wrap his head around the new information. To think that the two moons had been two Earths! “So that’s when they started merging with humans?”

 

“Yes, demons have been seeping into the human heart since ancient times. Think of myths and legends, where creatures such as vampires and werewolves have appeared. These are actually cases of demons,” Satan spoke in a melancholic tone. He had done this before; he had explained to Akira about demons in detail back on the second Earth, just after he revealed his true form to the Devilman. 

 

It reminded him of a distant, painful memory.

 

Akira was still full of questions, and rightfully so. “How do you know about all this? Where do you come into the story, Ryo?” He took a glimpse of Satan’s magnificent wings, before focusing his eyes at the angel, his expression stern.

 

“I... I’ve been through it all,” Satan admitted sheepishly. He debated whether he should tell Akira or not... about what happened in the previous Earth. How he had been the cause of the apocalypse, the extinction of humanity.

 

_No, he might hate you_ , Satan decided in his heart. He didn’t want that... he did not want to risk it. Instead he started forming a lie, saying, “when I rebelled against God, he cast me out of Heaven, and I roamed the universe until I found the first Earth. I settled down there, surrounded by the demons, and I perished with them each time. I suppose it’s part of my punishment for being defiant.”

 

Satan tried to laugh it off, but he caught sight of the sympathetic look in Akira’s eyes, and a pang of guilt burrowed in his chest.

 

“Really? That’s terrible, Ryo. I’m sorry,” Akira reached out to hold Satan’s hand, his voice gentle. But the angel could also feel that it was laced with suspicion, and there was a drop in his stomach. _Maybe his story wasn’t convincing enough?_

 

“Yes, _ahem_ , it’s pretty bad but I deserved it. I didn’t agree with my Father’s ways back then, but I have changed my mind recently. You know what they say, time changes a person. So in this cycle, I’m tasked with demon expulsion! If I do it right, I will probably get to go back. I think!” Satan piped up, trying to sound enthusiastic. He even gave a big smile and flapped his wings a little, for good measure. 

 

So far so good, because Akira lit up when he heard this. “So if we defeat all the demons, you get to return to Heaven and humanity will be saved! Sounds like a pretty good deal to me,” Akira chirped.

 

“Yes, but it’s not easy. In the previous Earth, because of the reveal of the demons’ existence, the whole world blew up into a global panic. Humanity went berserk and destroyed themselves in fear. In the end, they became extinct.” Satan’s eyes narrowed, remembering how humans turned on themselves so easily. All it needed was a little push and fabrication. “This is why it is important that we never let the world find out about demons,” Satan warned, an edge of worry in his tone. He gripped Akira’s wrist tightly, making sure Akira felt the severity of it.

 

Akira shook his head, saying, “that’s insane. Humans are stronger than that, I’m sure. How can we, the most intelligent species aside from demons, just go out like that?”

 

“You have to see it to believe it,” Satan laughed bitterly. “In any case, this world is extremely similar to the last. If anything happens, I will do my all to protect you... and humanity.”

 

“I understand, Ryo.” Akira sniffed and looked down, suddenly realising the state the both of them were in. He chuckled. “Hey Ryo, I think we should get a shower before we continue. We’re both pretty sweaty and you’re covered in my cum all over,” he pointed out. 

 

Immediately Satan blushed, covering his breasts with his arms, the embarrassment overwhelming him. He finally noticed the feeling of stickiness and how hot and bloated his insides were, full of Akira’s seed. The sudden, unexpected event that just happened earlier came rushing into his head. To think, he finally... slept with another, and with Akira no less! Just so incredible, _unbelievable_ —

 

“Let’s go,” Satan squeaked, casting away his angel form with a flick of his head, returning to the identity of Asuka Ryo. Akira gave a cry of amazement, thinking that it was the coolest thing he ever saw, which only sent Satan into a deeper blush.

 

They both headed to the shower, bathing together but in silence. There was nothing said between them, but each gave the other looks and smiles, and when they were cleaned up, Satan bid Akira good night as he left for his bedroom. Jenny had already cleaned the bed (much to Satan’s amusement - she must have heard and seen everything with those psychic powers of hers!) and had the sheets and covers changed, letting the angel plop down onto his bed in content. Scenes and memories of Akira and his lovemaking danced in his head,  and he sighed happily as he fell asleep.

 

 

Meanwhile Akira was preoccupied with his own thoughts, in his own room. The two moons were high in the sky, but Akira was unable to fall asleep, even if he was exhausted.

 

He thought about how he fell into Amon’s temptation and fucked his best friend. He thought about how Ryo cried and moaned while writhing under his body, and how good the blonde tasted. He could still remember the sudden flash of light as Ryo transfomed into an angel, and how beautiful he was. Then there was the revelation of the previous Earths and the danger that the demons could bring. 

 

It was all too much, and there was also Akira’s suspicions.

 

_What are you, Ryo?_ Akira pondered in silence. It wasn’t as simple an answer as “I’m a fallen angel” and Akira knew there was more to it than his best friend had let on.

 

Maybe his dreams were visions of the past as well?

 

He never told Ryo, but ever since he joined with Amon, he had recurring nightmares. It would begin with sex – he would dream that he was with someone, though unsure who it exactly was. The dream would shift into demons, or humans? Being torn apart, blood and ichor spilling everywhere. He would hear voices - Miki, Ryo, his father and mother, echoing inside his head as he fucked and killed. Then lastly, he would be transported to a world where everything was dead, and as he walked past litters of corpses, he would reach a familiar hill, where above a mountain of decapitated heads stood a shining being. 

 

An angel with twelve brilliant wings.

 

“Ryo, fallen angel…” Akira murmured, thinking of the Bible. He listened often when Miki her parents read it aloud as they preached over Easter or Christmas season. If there was any fallen angel mentioned by name, the most famous one would be… Satan.

 

_Pffffft_. There was no way Ryo could be the infamous ‘Father of Devils', Akira laughed inwardly. Maybe this theory was going nowhere.

 

He decided to go to sleep, unaware of a pair of blue eyes watching him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update. This one took some thinking, and it's a little short in comparison, but I wanted to finish my Devilman Crybaby doujinshi.  
> I've uploaded it on pixiv but it is also in nhentai for anyone who is interested >\\\\\> Only pixiv has the EN version so far~
> 
> https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=75440591


	8. The Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot increasing...

 

__

The morning rays of light spilled into his room, and the Morningstar opened his eyes as if he was summoned by the sun.

 

Just as he did, he found Michael’s face leering down at him, just inches away from his nose. Understandably shocked, Satan swatted away at Michael’s face with his hand, and Michael yelped in pain as he sprawled to the side. 

 

“Ouch. _What was that for?_ ” Michael growled, massaging his cheek.

 

The archangel had donned a white and golden robe, and his wings were neatly tucked away behind him. Still, he was taking up considerable space on Satan’s large bed, and he winced as Satan pinched his arm in attempt to chase him away. 

 

“That’s for scaring me, stupid. Why are you here?” Satan snapped. He never liked the sight of his twin brother; it reminded him of unpleasant memories and the notion that he had been killed a few times by someone who bore the exact same face as him.

 

“ _Tsk, tsk_. Can’t you at least pretend to be glad to see me?” Michael sounded bored. “I wanted to give you a heads up, that’s all.”

 

A raised eyebrow. “ _Oh_? What do you mean?”

 

Michael smirked. “I’m telling you the demons are up to something. They’ve taken notice of your human, and they’ll make a move soon. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes, without your role in humanity’s supposedly upcoming doom.”

 

On hearing this, Satan frowned and pondered the situation. While he was more powerful than any demon alive, Zennon included, Akira was a vulnerable target. And there was also the problem of humanity finding out about demons. 

 

_If Zennon discovers the humans’ weakness, it will be over. If humans discover the demons’ existence, it could also be over, but there could be a small chance to overcome that problem. If Zennon managed to kill Akira...what would be the point of all this? No, that mustn’t happen._

 

“Then we have to stop them before they make their move!” Satan cried, clenching his fists. “If we take down Zennon first, the rest will fall easily.” Yeah, that seemed like a good plan. 

 

“But you don’t know where Zennon is, and taking out every single part of him will be a nuisance. Furthermore, there is no ‘we’ in this equation. It’s your business and your problem, I’m just a casual observer,” Michael pointed out smugly.

 

Satan huffed at him. “ _Gosh_ , you’re so _useless_! Can’t you just lend me a hand?”

 

“No,” Michael scoffed. “I do as I please, you do not control me, brother. My main purpose only comes if humanity is wiped out.”

 

Satan folded his arms grumpily. “Fine. I appreciate the tip, but since you’re not going to help me, you might as well leave now. Go away. _Shoo shoo,_ ” he waved his hand at Michael, who sniggered, “but I’m not done yet!”

 

The powerful archangel flexed his wings, a gleam in his eyes. “We should also talk about what happened last night!”

 

_Last night?_ A blush crept up his cheeks as Satan remembered the events. Nooo _ooo Michael saw it, that damn bastard!_

_“Ahem,_ Michael _,_ I refuse. You saw nothing, nothing happened.”

 

“I saw everything,” Michael corrected gleefully. “You mated with Akira, sodomy no less. In. This. Very. Room! How _naughty_ , Lucy!”

 

Satan glared at Michael. “And do you have a problem with that? I bet you still haven’t done it before, judging by that chaste look of yours. _Why_ , I think you’re jealous!” he accused. 

 

“Oh geez, as if you weren’t a virgin too until last night. I am definitely not envious of you, but I must say, it was quite a show seeing you so... _unsightly_. To have a human dominate you, making you whine and beg, the great Lucifer, former Light-bringer and magnificent leader of the rascals! It must be really good, _hmmm_?” Michael carried on with a laugh, “you were always different from us, even until now, the odd one out. To be willing to lower your prestige and pride to lie under a human, for someone like you who was once so glorious, that’s quite amazing itself. You sure haven’t let me down!”

 

“That’s enough!” Satan growled. “Out, _OUT_!! I am not listening to another moment of your incessant remarks!” He pushed Michael off his bed, his body glowing in anger.

 

Michael kept laughing, but he finally got up and said, “alright, okay. Fine, I’ll leave. By the way brother,” he stopped at the window side, “you should consider before telling untrue stories to humans. One thing leads to another... _oh_ but forgive me, who am I to give advice to the Father of Lies?” With that, he chuckled and dissolved into a shower of sparkles.

 

Satan stared into the space where his angel brother once stood, a feeling of dread creeping into him. _What did Michael mean by that?_

_—————————————————————_

 

 

Akira was late for track practice today. He had overslept, and when he got to the field Miki was waiting for him with a sulky face. 

 

“Akira!” she called. “What have you and Ryo been up to these days? You never return my calls, and your mum is constantly worried. Hell, even I am.” 

 

“I’m sorry,” Akira apologised. He didn’t mean to ignore their calls, but he had been caught up with his demon-hunting spree lately. Of course, his mother probably had an idea, but he never outright told her. He didn’t want to face the truth and relive the incident with his father... and neither did he want to bring up painful memories for her.

 

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it,” Miki scolded. “Are you on drugs?”

 

“What? Of course not!” 

 

The two of them looked at the track, where Miko was being surrounded by some girls from the club.

 

“You missed it, but Miko ran really fast today. She almost overtook me!” Miki told Akira. She looked proud, and Akira smiled.

 

Even if Miki would soon lose her reputation as fastest runner in the team, she didn’t mind at all. He loved Miki the way she was — kind and sweet. Her heart was void of jealousy or greed, and she only gave others her love. He thought she was the best sister he could ever ask for.

 

“Looks like you won’t be the only witch of the track field,” Akira joked casually. “With you, Miko and me, we will win the Koshien event easily!”

 

Miki gave him a playful pat on he back. “As long as you don’t show up late for it, silly.”

 

They ran a few more rounds after that, and when the sun began to lower in the sky, Miki and Akira decided to walk back home together. Miko had declined, saying that she needed to go shopping, so the duo took a different route home.

 

It was quiet for the first few minutes, with Akira looking at the trees and sky, when Miki opened her mouth and spoke, “Hey, Akira.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You know, you’ve been really different lately. I can tell something’s happening, but you’re not telling me anything. Whatever it is... I just want to let you know that you’re not alone.”

 

Akira could see his own reflection in Miki’s eyes as he paused. Somehow it made him feel warm inside. He smiled. “Thank you Miki. I know I can count on you,” he started walking again, “but it’s fine. So don’t worry, I’m alright.”

 

“You better be,” Miki pouted. 

 

_—————————————————————_

The moons were hardly visible tonight. The wind was strong and as it blew, thick clouds covered the sky. Lightning flashed and thunder roared; a storm was approaching. 

 

Sitting on a chair in his room, Akira looked over the window, deeply pondering his situation. He watched as people hastily shut their windows and gather laundry before the rain poured, but his mind was not focused on them. 

 

Ever since the night with Ryo a few days ago, Akira had not gone back. He wasn’t sure if he was deliberately avoiding Ryo out of embarrassment or something else. In turn his dreams were becoming stronger, and it was beginning to focus more about the mountain of corpses, and the angel on top of it. The name of the angel was Satan, and he knew this because his heart said so.

 

There was denial. 

 

Right now, Ryo’s angelic form was swimming in his mind, and visions of explosions and destruction played in his head. He was soaring through the air as Devilman, gliding through thick smoke and ash. He could also see rivers of blood as he flew over the fallen buildings of a former city, and there were bodies everywhere. He felt great anger and sadness as he did.

 

He knew the angel that looked like Ryo had caused all of it. He wanted to scream and tear Satan apart. Otherwise, he felt that he could never redeem himself, because he had let someone he loved down.

 

Akira closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.

 

_Whatever these visions are, they’re not real_ , a small voice said in his mind. Akira’s head nodded, but his heart disagreed. _Then why am I feeling such strong emotions?_  He asked himself. 

 

There were no answers for this.

 

Suddenly there was a loud rumble in the sky as rain started pouring; Akira’s attention was taken when he felt his blood boiling with excitement.

 

It was the signal for an incoming enemy!

 

“I can feel it,” Akira said aloud to himself. His demon instincts were warning him that there was going to be a fight soon. His hairs stood on edge and he closed his eyes, listening to the pitter patter of the rain outside, making peace with the world before the battle gong rang. 

 

Downstairs, Miki Makimura was humming in the shower. She had just got back from buying groceries, and after getting drenched in the rain, her mother had told her to get a bath.

 

Her brother Taro was in his room, secretly watching Devilman past his bedtime. Noel Makimura was in his bedroom writing in his journal, while his wife sat on the bed using her phone. 

 

It was a normal night for the Makimuras, and they were not expecting anything unusual. Mrs. Fudo who was asleep in the room next to Akira, however, started having nightmares, and she writhed on her bed, groaning. 

 

The seconds ticked by. As Akira waited, he felt danger looming closer. Amon stirred within him, rearing his fangs.

 

_Fight, fight!_ Amon was howling.

 

All of a sudden, there was a screech below. Akira jumped out of his seat immediately, rushing to the bathroom for Miki. As he ran across the hallway, he saw a very frightened Taro who was walking back from the toilet.

 

“Big brother Akira,” Taro’s voice trembled. “I saw something weird just n-now-“

 

“Go to bed, Taro! This is just a dream,” Akira hissed. He picked up the scared little boy, went to Taro’s room and plopped Taro back onto his bed.

 

“Remember, just a dream,” Akira repeated softly, leaving as Taro closed his eyes in a convinced manner.

 

He hadn’t walked very far when he caught sight of Miki standing in the hallway. She was dripping wet and naked; Akira did a double take and blinked in surprise. “Miki?” He breathed. 

 

His eyes couldn’t help but roam her body and he blushed as he gazed. It felt wrong to him, but Amon purred inside his chest. Then Miki started walking to him slowly, her voice silky and full of lust as she uttered his name. “Akira, _oh_ Akira, I’ve always been thinking about you, you know...”

 

_This isn’t Miki_ , Akira realised all at once. She never spoke like that. He clenched his fists and turned around by instinct, hurling his knuckles as he did. It made contact with a huge, gruesome lumpy monster- “Agwel!” Akira snarled.

 

The grey pile flesh recoiled in pain, howling as it sent blade-like limbs at Akira’s head. Akira dodged at the last second, stumbling backwards just as Miki lunged and grabbed him from behind.

 

“Miki!” Akira growled, trying to push her off. He knew this was his Miki, and had a feeling she was being controlled somehow. A few demons had controlling powers, but he made a guess - if Agwel was here, then its close partner Gelmer would be too!

 

“ _Arghhhh_!” Akira roared at the top of his lungs, sending heatwaves out from his body. Miki gave a cry and let go, jumping away while Agwel leapt forward to swing another bladed limb. Akira dropped to his knees and threw a fist at the grotesque blob before willing his body to transform, and as he did his features morphed smoothly into the silhouette of Devilman.

 

By now he was so used to it that changing into his demon form no longer hurt. Akira spread out his wings and gave another punch at Agwel, then spun around and gripped Miki’s arm, sending her to the floor, knocking her out.

 

With Miki out of the way, Akira set full focus on Agwel, who shuddered with fear just before Akira grabbed his face, ripping the head into half and spilling ichor all over.

 

“Go to hell!” Akira shouted as Agwel slashed wildly in pain without his head, body spasming as it died. Devilman sent another kick, and the grotesque mass of flesh fell to the floor, twitching a few times before it stopped moving.

 

Next, Akira turned to Miki and found Gelmer instead, standing before him before overwhelming the Devilman in torrents of water. With a pained cry, Akira felt the watery demon enter his mouth, and he heated his body up by impulse. The temperature inside him rose to boiling point and Gelmer shrieked, stopping its attack and trying to flee.

 

But Akira seized at his foe, and where his hands touched, steam erupted and solid patches of skin appeared. Gelmer’s water was evaporating quickly, and soon he was tangible and vulnerable. Terrified, Gelmer pleaded for his life, “Amon! Please spare me, I will do anyth-“

 

“I am _NOT_ Amon!” Akira shouted in his rage, pulling Gelmer by the torso and leg, ripping his enemy into shreds. There was another shower of ichor as Gelmer’s body split into pieces, and Akira threw the parts to the side as he noticed Miki’s unconscious body.

 

He lifted her gently and carried her back to her room, making sure she was unharmed as he placed her down on the bed.

 

When he left Miki’s room, he found his mother running towards him. “Akira!” she cried, worried. “I woke up and heard noises.”

 

Akira reached out to hug and assure her, but quickly stopped when he realised his whole body dripping in ichor. He shifted back into his human self and smiled at his mother. “Don’t worry, everything is fine. Some demons invaded the house, but I defeated them. I’m strong!”

 

Mrs. Fudo shook her head. “I dreamed you were covered in blood, I was worried...” her voice drifted off and she turned around. “I’ll help clean up the place. I’m surprised Noel and Akiko didn’t hear anything.”

 

“Thanks, mum. I’ll go check up on them just in case,” Akira gave his mother a grateful peck on the cheek and ran off in the direction of Mr and Mrs. Makimura’s room.

 

When he entered he found the couple unconscious on the floor, but otherwise unharmed. _Agwel’s doing_ , Akira reasoned. They were probably knocked unconscious by a sleeping spell.

 

Just as he stood there and pondered, there was a loud crash and a claw stabbed into his chest — Akira screamed in pain as he found himself floating in the sky, wind and rain battering his face.

 

“Silene!” Akira recognised with Amon’s memories. The beautiful bird demoness, the powerful and fearsome Silene! How she laughed as she flew, her victory triumphant after the deaths of her subordinates.

 

“Devilman! My Amon was felled by you, and I shall make you pay for it,” Silene shouted over the noise of the wind and rain. Her leg claw was deeply embedded in Akira’s flesh, and he was unable to struggle free. He also found that he could not transform!

 

“Surprised?” Silene asked, sensing his turmoil. “My metal claws are flowing with electricity that are disrupting your bodily functions! Your powers are sealed away! Now you can’t transform, and I shall carry you straight to Lord Zennon where you shall meet your end!”

 

Enraged, Akira bared his teeth at her and struggled harder, letting the claws dig deeper into him. He was in pain, but he knew he would be in bigger trouble if he could not escape from her clutches. Wherever she was taking him, it could not be good.

 

“Why don’t you kill me instead?” Akira yelled, deciding it was better not to know what she had in store for him. Silene cackled. “Amon was a brave and mighty warrior. I certainly would have granted him such a wish! But you, you’re not. Just a filthy human insect! I’ll bring you to Lord Zennon, where you shall be tortured until our great Lord Satan awakens! Then you can watch as we destroy your precious human friends, _bwahahaha_!”

 

He could see the city below him as they flew in the rain. The numerous skyscrapers were so small in his view, the lights from the streets and windows but small specks with a bright trail. His blood mixed and flowed with the rainwater, and the more he wriggled the weaker he became. It was simply no use after all. Soon Akira hung limply in Silene’s claws, dejected and frightened of the uncertainty before him. He began to think of different scenarios of his own demise, and regretted not seeing his loved ones more often.

 

After several more minutes of silence, Silene felt something coming at her in high speed. Her head antennae flicked in the air as she turned her head to look, and was invited to a terror beyond her comprehension.

 

A huge, blazing white beam streaked towards her across the sky. She swerved and narrowly avoided it before another deathly ray shot at her, and she spun again, away from the burning light. Akira got back to his senses as Silene twisted in the air. He strained his body to look behind, trying to find the source. 

 

His demon eyes could see clearly in the night, but it was impossible even for a human not to see it - a burning white star far away, rapidly shooting at Silene while it speedily caught up.

 

The rain stopped pouring, and clouds parted to reveal the two moons in the night.

 

“How can it be?!” Silene rasped. She was in fear and disbelief, knowing who her new opponent was.

 

“ _Ryo_!” Akira cried out in relief.

 

The ball of light gained up to them. When it was near, the light shaped into Satan’s silhouette, and Sirene stopped in her flight.

 

“ _Lord Satan!!_ ” Sirene screamed.

 

A look of surprise flashed over Akira’s face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s getting harder to write, because the plot is shifting away from the original! I actually finished this a while ago, but I kept it while writing the next chapter. I did end up making changes to this xD


	9. Lies & Deceit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plot intensifies.

 

 

 

When Mrs. Fudo heard a loud crash and her son screaming, she quickly ran upstairs and found a large hole in the ceiling of the Makimura’s bedroom.

 

Panic grasped her heart as she saw a huge feathery demoness taking away her only child. She lost sight of them quickly in the heavy downpour.

 

She sank to her knees, terrified. What could she do? She was rather clueless in the situation, she couldn’t fight and she was just one normal human being. Her son was in trouble, and she wasn’t sure if he could defeat the demoness.

 

Then she remembered that she wasn’t alone. So she called Asuka Ryo, the best friend and close partner to Akira in the whole demon hunting activity. She had saved Ryo’s number when she was asked to stay over for a few days, thinking it might come useful, and she was glad to have done so!

 

So when she told Satan about what had happened, the blonde thanked her for giving him the heads up, and assured her that nothing would happen to Akira. Mrs. Fudo was happy to hear that, and she was just as delighted when Satan sent Jenny over to help her repair the roof while the Makimuras continued in deep slumber. 

 

As for Ryo - Satan, he was furious when he found out what had happened. After telling Jenny what to do, he transformed and instantly headed to the location. Mrs. Fudo had told him the direction that Silene had been flying towards, and when he saw Silene in the sky with his beloved, his rage escalated to a level he had rarely felt.

 

_How dare she! Akira is mine!!_

 

Satan shot ray after ray of sun-heat light, wishing she would just drop dead. He almost lost control of himself, his emotions, his normally calm demeanour. The fear that something happened to Akira ate him up inside, tormenting him and making him wish he kept Akira locked up safely in his room instead. 

 

When he was near enough, Silene stopped and screamed his name, about to ask why he was doing this to her. Satan shot sliced through the air with his palm, shooting a light arrow at her left head wing. With a scream of pain, she clutched at her head and dropped Akira; Satan swooped down and grabbed the dark haired youth into his arms.

 

“Akira,” Satan breathed, a look of joy all over his radiant face. “Are you alright? I’ll bring you home after I finish her.”

 

He did not register Akira’s expression of shock and confusion, instead putting the Devilman down onto the nearest rooftop. Then with a flap of his many wings, Satan glided through the air in a shimmer of sparkles, searching for the poor demoness who had incurred his wrath.

 

He soon found her on the ground in a deserted park, crouching before another demon - Kaim, and they were talking when they noticed his arrival.

 

Silene was badly hurt; half of her left head wing had torn off from the invisible force surrounding Satan’s deadly light arrow. Nevertheless she stood up at the sight of the fallen archangel, and she managed a weak bow with Kaim by her side.

 

“Lord Satan,” they both greeted. They were shaking in awe and terror.

 

“Kaim and Silene,” Satan noted dully. “Such is your luck, to steal what belongs to me. And because of that”—Satan pointed a finger at the duo—“you must die.” There were sparks coming out of his finger. 

 

Silene and Kaim immediately got on their knees. “Lord Satan! Why? Everything we do is for the greatness you promised us!” Silene screeched.

 

“My Lord, please tell us what we have done wrong, so we may correct ourselves!” Kaim pleaded.

 

Satan wasn’t interested in prolonging his time with the duo. Instead, he was busy thinking of Akira, wondering if the boy was hurt, or scared, or...

 

“SATAN!!!”

 

The voice was loud and fearsome, reverberating throughout the park, the echoes of three or four people speaking as one. It was one of the voices Satan could recognise anywhere, and he spun around, aiming at a towering beastly figure behind him.

 

“Of course it’s you, Zennon,” Satan laughed. Just the demon he wanted to see!

 

King and leader of demons, second-in-command and grand general of the demon race after Satan. The almight Zennon stood tall, his body covered in black fur, four heads all staring at Satan, unnerved by his threatening pose. He was in a smaller form than his usual body size, but it was still huge enough to cast a shadow over the three before him.

 

“What are you doing? Why are you attacking my subordinates?” Zennon scowled. “How is it that you have awakened, but I was not told of this?!”

 

_He was probably referring to Jenny,_ Satan thought. She was supposed to be in charge of Asuka Ryo until Satan’s memory revived, after all. But since she had decided to take his side, she did not notify them.

 

“Plans have changed, Zennon.” Satan let out a mirthless laugh. “I have seen the future, and I have come to a conclusion. Demons must be eradicated! So _die_!!”

 

Twelve wings flexed as Satan released a blast of energy around him, and waves of light pulses as he shot dozens of crescent-shaped blades at the demons.

 

Silene and Kaim never stood a chance; they melted into pastry before they could blink an eye. Zennon however broke up into wisps of black smoke, the tendrils fading a little before coming back together as a whole.

 

_Illusion_ , Satan instantly recognised. _The sly old bastard had taken precaution, it seems!_

 

The image of Zennon shook its head when Satan stopped his assault, and there was a gleam in all pairs of eyes as it stared daggers at the fallen archangel. “It seems you have decided to switch sides, Satan! My hunch was right, you were the one who killed Amon’s consciousness as Asuka Ryo. And now you have turned against us, like how you turned against God! You are just a scheming backstabber, as always!”

 

“Your words can’t hurt me,” Satan responded coolly. He was not surprised that Zennon knew so much about the situation just from guesswork. For a being with a few great minds in one consciousness, extreme intelligence should be a must for Zennon, who was respected as the king of demons.

 

Before his arrival on the first Earth, Zennon had always been the one in power. It was no different from now.

 

“No one among us can really hurt you,” Zennon admitted, “but we can hurt your human pet, Akira. I have been watching you ever since the airport incident, seeing you parade around in your wretched human form. You’ve fallen in love with the boy! So you chose him over the demon race, after you swore to fight for us. No matter, now you shall watch as we destroy the humans you chose over us!”

 

The image then dissolved, but Zennon’s words continued to echo in Satan’s ears. His eyes narrowed, his heart beating. Zennon already knew his greatest weakness. Akira.

 

 

———————————————————————

 

 

Cold, wet and tired atop the roof of some random skyscraper, Akira waited for his friend to come back.

 

His head still rang with Silene’s scream as she cried out the name of the angel. Satan. 

 

“Those dreams, no, nightmares I had. Were they real after all?” Akira said aloud. His eyes were downcast, a feeling of hurt in his chest. Perhaps he was the foolish one. He always knew, but denial clouded his mind; from the time he saw Ryo’s true form in the bedroom, he had the huge possibility of Ryo being Satan taunting at the back of his head.

 

There was a sting of betrayal, but Akira willed himself not to be angry; he reasoned that Ryo had no fault in not telling him his real identity. Akira himself never pushed to ask.

 

Then aside from that, what about the way Silene addressed Ryo? Lord-? Why would she call him that? Didn’t Ryo tell him that he was here to redeem himself by defending and saving humanity against the demons?

 

Akira remembered the Bible too. It wrote that Satan was the leader of demons, and the one who led the evils of the world as he brought about Armageddon.

 

_What should I do? Should I trust Ryo?_ Akira wondered. If Ryo came back with an explanation, should he believe it?

 

Satan was the archangel who fell from Heaven, the one who filled temptation, lies and deceit in human hearts. _Never trust the Devil! Not a single word at all!_ Mr. Makimura often warned Taro. 

 

There were so many questions, but no one to answer them. Exhaustion finally crept up to his mind and he fell asleep on the cold floor, unable to notice a dark figure approaching him.

 

 

———————————————————————

 

 

When he opened his eyes, Akira found himself lying on a bed in a simple room. He tried to pull away the covers, but found his arms strapped to the metal frame of his bed. Slightly panicking, Akira yanked at the chains. _What was going on?_

 

“Oh good, you’re finally awake!”

 

Akira looked up and found a figure seated at a far corner, staring at him with a wide grin. He squinted and made out the face of a handsome young man with long black hair and eyes.

 

“Where the hell am I?”

 

Akira tugged at the chains again, bewildered. He didn’t like the look of the place, and the man watching him felt... dangerous. 

 

“You are in my lair,” the man spoke calmly.

 

_Lair? That certainly didn’t sound very good_. 

 

“Who are you?” Akira growled. 

 

The figure in the shadow chuckled softly and stood up. There was a small pause, then the mysterious man spoke with a commanding voice.

 

“My name is Zei, and I am a part of Zennon, _king of the demons_.”

 

Akira stared wide-eyed at the man and gulped in surprise. “King of demons? Zennon?”

 

Amon’s knowledge suddenly pulsated in his memory, and he understood in that moment - this was Zennon! The most powerful demon among them all, before Satan came.

 

Zei nodded and folded his hands. “Fudo Akira, conqueror of the champion of demons, Amon. Truly a pleasure to meet you, the human who has gone so far. But,” a smile danced on his lips, “that will have to stop now.”

 

Akira’s blood froze at this threat, and he tried to transform again. To his surprise, he couldn’t. It felt just the same as with Silene!

 

Zei narrowed his eyes. “Before my faithful general Silene died, I had the opportunity to order some human scientists to create a tool similar to her claws. Humans are really good in research and inventions, I must give them that. However, I only managed to get my hands on a few prototypes before the scientists were eaten by a few of my unruly underlings...” 

 

Akira’s eyes darted to the chains around his hands. He could feel electric pulses resonating within them. Panic started to settle in, but he refused to show it. He could not show them any weakness. 

 

“So you’re going to kill me?” Akira dared to say after a while.

 

Zei shook his head, waving his hands in the air. “If I wanted to do that, I could have done so while you were out. Foolish boy, you’re no worth to me dead. I need you _alive_ ,” Zei replied with a menacing tone.

 

Somehow this answer made Akira shudder even more. “What do you need me for?” He frowned. 

 

“I want you to join us, Akira.” Zei cut to the point, “you are still carrier of Amon’s power, and you have much potential. I’d like to give you the chance to be a part of us.”

 

_Bullshit_. “No way I’m doing that. I don’t eat humans! I won’t betray my own people.” Akira barred his teeth angrily.

 

“That’s a pity,” Zei said. He feigned a look of disappointment. “I was hoping to have your fighting power... it would have been very helpful. No matter,” Zei started to walk in circles around the room. “You can be our spy instead.”

 

“What?” Akira gave an incredulous look. “Do you take me for some simple idiot, Zennon? Why would I help you?”

 

“ _Zei_ ,” the handsome demon corrected impatiently. “You could consider after hearing the whole story. I’m sure you don’t know about it anyway.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“What I’m about to talk about is our beginning and our end. And it all ties down to your traitorous, lying friend, Satan!”

 

Zei glared at Akira, his face cloudy when he mentioned Satan’s name. Akira returned with a surprised look. 

 

“You mean Ryo? What did he do?” Curiosity boiled deep underneath his bones. Akira wanted to know...

 

Zei sighed and seated himself back to the corner. “Billions of years ago, humans, monsters and demons flourished on the first Earth. We coexisted in a ruthless environment, where huge dinosaurs and monstrous beasts lurked. Life was simple; it was either fight or die. We formed alliances and also merged with humans to combat the predators of the times. Things went on until _he_ arrived.”

 

“Satan,” Akira muttered.

 

“Yes,” Zei nodded. “His arrival was unprecedented. He was so beautiful and powerful. An alien with mysterious origins! Some of us wanted to subdue such a creature, but quickly we realised Satan was something above all of us.”

 

Akira listened intently, his curiosity peaking. Although he was determined not to trust everything the demon before him said, he could not tear his eyes away from Zei.

 

“Demons fight to survive. The strongest demon rules over all. Satan’s strength and power was beyond any of us, so naturally we made him our ruler. In return, he spoke of great things and brilliant promises. We believed in him and had great hopes, but alas! Suddenly we found ourselves under attack! Mythical creatures like Satan himself — angels, came and destroyed the Earth.”

 

Zei’s look darkened as he continued, “all of us - human, demon or beast, it was so fast and none of us prepared. So we perished quickly, becoming nothing but pure energy. Then the second Earth was created. Our souls crystallised and humans, demons and the like were reborn. As with the first Earth, we demons slowly gained the power to merge with humans, determined to have a peaceful life! Yet when we succeeded, we found ourselves assaulted by angels once more. We died, demons and humanity went extinct, and a third Earth was made. Do you see the two moons in the sky? They each represent one Earth.”

 

Akira cocked an eyebrow at Zei. “I find this story very hard to believe,” the boy said. “What does Satan have to do with it?”

 

Zei folded his arms. “You see, I only realised it just before I died on the second Earth. Satan was reborn and remade ruler of demons, and we all trusted him as usual. He led the demons and humans into a huge and harmonious society, and shortly after that another great attack from the angels came. Before the apocalypse, Satan revealed himself to me and told me that I had been such a good pawn to him. He said I made it so easy for him in gathering all demons and humans together, just so the angels could come and harvest.”

 

Akira mumbled in confusion, “H-harvest?”

 

“Yes, humans and demons carry a substance, a type of energy in our soul that replenishes angels as their food source. It makes them stronger and live longer. When they kill us, they harvest the energy until it is almost depleted. Then they leave the remainder on the next Earth they rebuild, so demons and humans may flourish again. After that the angels will come and harvest once more.”

 

There was a long silence. 

 

Akira racked his mind, trying to make sense of Zei’s story. It was true he knew nothing; Ryo did mention his side of the story and it was totally different. 

 

“Ryo said he’s a fallen angel because he rebelled against God. The Bible clearly states it too, while glorifying God and angels. Why would the Bible cast away Satan if he was one of them?” Akira asked. 

 

“This is the third Earth, and the angels have planted the Bible to fool you all. Satan is supposed to be an enemy of humanity, while being the leader of demons. This is to divide demons and humans! You may not know it, Akira, but in the First and Second Earth when we lived in harmony with the humans, we were so much stronger together against the angels! Now they have figured it out and separated us. With the humans thinking Satan is evil and his minions the demons are vile, humanity will not ally with us.”

 

“But you eat humans! And now you’re saying you used to live together with us?”

 

“Yes, back then humans were able to find ways to create food that demons could live on. It helped build the ties between us. Demons need to eat, and without that food we can only eat humans. How else can we live, Akira? Would you have us starve to death?”

 

“But Ryo said...”

 

Zei slammed the wall with his fist in anger. “ _Do not believe his lies_!!” He gave Akira a furious look, inhaling deeply. “He is Satan! He lied to us, lied to humans, and lied to you. He’s the true leader of the angels, and if you believe him you’ll just end up like me! We will die to the angels in the end!”

 

Amira could find nothing else to say. There was a deep pain in his chest, the pangs of betrayal stinging within him. He did not want to believe in Zei, and Zei’s story seemed wild to him, but he could not find another way to console himself.

 

He remembered the nightmares, he recalled seeing corpses with Satan standing atop it. The blood running from the eyes of a million heads, the pain and despair of the dying ones. He could see Satan’s menacing smile as a huge white beam  was blasted at him, covering his entire body below the torso in agonising heat.

 

He wondered if Ryo was truly what Zei made him to be.

 

He had known Ryo throughout his whole life! Ever since they were kids, ever since they met at the pier. Was Ryo really not who he was to Akira? Was it all just a facade so Satan could enter his heart and corrupt him?

 

“So Ryo- Satan, he is supposed to be your leader, right? To lead you against the angels, but he betrayed you all?” Akira’s voice was of despair.

 

Zei grinned. “Yes, you’re finally getting it now. Satan is God’s weapon of destruction, forged to lie and deceive humans and demons. He was supposed to lead us, but it was a trick! Instead we let the wolf into the sheep pen. We are just food to him, and his angels. If this goes on, the Earth will be wiped again!”

 

He stood up with an enthusiastic spring in his step, holding out his hand to Akira. “Now that you have listened to my story, will you join me against the evils of the angels and Satan?”

 

Akira stared at the outstretched hand blankly. “Zei, I don’t know. All of this is too sudden for me to process.”

 

Zei gave an understanding nod. “Very well. At the very least, you listened to my story without trying to dismiss it from the start, so I’ll unchain you and let you go.”

 

Akira gave Zei another dubious glare, muttering, “So now you’ll just let me go? Isn’t that too simple... in the beginning you were saying things like you’d kill me and all...”

 

“That was to catch your attention, Akira.” Zei sniggered, “although it is true we have got off on the wrong foot. Akira, I know you’ve been killing many of my demons lately, but that’s due to one of ours killing your father... and also because Satan tricked you into thinking ill of us. I’d like you ask your forgiveness in your father’s death, and I’m willing to overlook everything you’ve done up till now.”

 

Akira narrowed his eyes. He did not like to be reminded of his father. “I suppose... give me a few days to think. I want to go home now. I promise I won’t tell Ryo... Satan about this, but I hope we can work it out between humans and demons. I know you guys have to eat... but if we find a solution-“

 

“Akira, we would naturally go for the solution if there was one,” Zei assured. “Killing humans are not exactly the best thing to do, and I know you are a human yourself. Just give it some thought. Make sure Satan doesn’t know, or else he might harm you! You can contact me through mail.”

 

There was a loud clink as Akira’s chains were set loose, and Akira was free. Zei gave him a piece of paper with an email address on it, as well as Akira’s deactivated phone, which prevented Satan from finding his location. Then Zei walked him out of the room. To Akira’s surprise, he found himself in a tall office building. The room he was held in was at the top of the 50-storey tower, and looking down made Akira wonder how many demons were working here.

 

_A whole conglomerate of demons,_ Akira thought. He strolled out, never noticing a few pairs of eyes watching as he left.

 

Zei, Non and Nuga were standing together, beaming. “Akira Fudo has fallen into our trap,” Zei spoke.

 

“Now we just need to lure him away from Satan,” said Nuga.

 

“It would be good if we could somehow gain Satan back on our side, with a leash...” hissed Non.

 

They cackled gleefully, beginning new plans for the future of demonkind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t sure if this chapter’s plot was going the way I wanted, so I hesitated posting this sooner even though I finished it a while ago. But I’ve figured it out, so yeah! As always please leave kudos and comments if you enjoyed, it gives me courage and makes me feel like I’m doing things right (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)
> 
> Also I just drew a picture of Archangel Michael recently, he deserves more love and fans! •w•)/ here’s a link for the interested ^_^
> 
> https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=75515248


	10. Truths & Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of smut. Almost half the page is sex. I wrote this at ungodly times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Porn scenes

 

 

When Akira got back to the Makimura residence, he found Satan waiting for him at the door. The angel was back in human form, and there was a look of extreme worry on his face.

 

As soon as Satan saw Akira however, his face broke into delight and he ran forward to hug Akira, wrapping his arms around tightly. Akira returned the hug, albeit not as enthusiastic, with Zei’s words still weighing in his mind.

 

“Akira! I’m so glad you’re alright. Where did you go?” Satan asked, pulling away after a long embrace.

 

Akira managed a smile and replied, “I had a lot on my mind, you know. After the whole Silene thing, I... went for a walk.” It sounded like a lame excuse, but Satan lapped it up like it was the word of God himself. “Oh! You were probably shaken from that, I understand, you must have been scared...”

 

_Michael was right, he said Akira would be back soon as long as I’d wait for him here_ , Satan thought in his head with relief. Hours ago during his frenzied search for the missing Devilman, Michael had appeared to tell him to calm down and wait at the Makimura’s house.

 

It took a lot of convincing to get him to stay put here, but now Satan was glad that he heeded Michael’s words. _Maybe his brother wasn’t so bad after all._

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Satan asked again, since Akira stayed quiet. He reached out to take Akira’s hand, but Akira turned away before he could. “I’m sorry Ryo, but I gotta check in on my mum and Miki. How about later? I’ll go over to your place tonight. We need to have a long talk.”

 

Satan nodded, feeling a tad bit dejected. If only he grabbed Akira’s hand sooner! A slight blush casted over his cheeks at the thought, but he shook it away and responded with a ‘ _yes_!’ and left for his penthouse.

 

———————————————————————

 

When it was late evening, the doorbell rang and Satan sprang up from his couch, opening the door for Akira. He was anxious, wondering what Akira had to say. Was the whole Silene thing too much for him to bear? Did he want to quit being Devilman?

 

“Ryo,” Akira spoke once they sat down in the living room. Jenny had gone out to do some business-related chores and would not be back until the next day, so Akira and Ryo were alone in the apartment.

 

“You never told me you were Satan.”

 

Satan’s pupils widened in surprise before he coughed, “Is that what you wanted to talk about?” He suddenly remembered the moment when Silene called out his real name while holding onto Akira. _How could he forgot that?_

 

Akira nodded solemnly, looking at Ryo in the eye. Ryo sighed and cleared his throat, “Well Akira, I never meant to hide that from you. But truth be told, I wasn’t sure how you’d take it if I told you who I really was.”

 

Akira folded his arms, expression stern as he listened quietly. Satan saw this and went on, a little tense. “Satan is rooted in humanity’s belief as the origin and personification of evil, the bringer of chaos and destruction! I was scared that if I told you, you w-would... you’d... reject me.” Satan twiddled his fingers, his face looking flushed.

 

Akira said nothing, but he gave the indication that he was waiting for more answers. So Satan continued, more nervous than before, “I didn’t want you to think badly of me, Akira! I know the impression of Satan is terrible in the eyes of humanity, but I promise you I am not evil as they say. I am defending humanity, remember? I would have told you the truth if you asked!”

 

Akira frowned. “I wouldn’t know that for sure.”

 

Satan bit his lip, feeling hurt by the comment. He thought Akira would believe him; he always did. Had he screwed up this time? Should he have revealed his true identity earlier instead?

 

“Well,” Satan muttered. “I would never lie to you.” That was a lie itself, but the angel was desperate to fix the tension in the room. He looked down at the floor, eyeing the velvet white carpet, trying to avoid Akira’s gaze.

 

“Okay, then let’s move on,” Akira said, a tone of coldness. “Why did the demon Silene call you Lord? That means you have a position among them, right? They wouldn’t call you that if you were out to destroy them.”

 

“I told you I lived among them in two lifetimes, haven’t I?” Satan responded. “I was powerful, so they respected and called me their Lord. Although...” He suddenly clenched his fists and insisted, “I had nothing else to do with them! I was never a part of the demons.” Satan thought of how he could not let Akira know he used to be their leader, the one who caused humanity’s destruction!

 

Satan sneaked a glance at Akira, who seemed troubled as if he was thinking whether to believe him or not. There was a moment of silence, then Akira said quietly, “So you’re tasked by God with killing demons in this life? What about me, didn’t you turn me into one? Does that mean you’ll kill me too?”

 

Satan’s eyes widened in horror and he stood up, half-shouting, “ _No_!”

 

He rushed before Akira who was taken aback by the sudden reaction, and Satan cupped Akira’s cheeks with his hands, stammering, “Akira! I could never do that, never!! You’re different. You are helping me, standing by my side, protecting humans with me! You are the kindest, bravest and nicest person I know. How could I ever harm you?!”

 

Satan’s eyes were blazing with fire. 

 

“No one is allowed to lay a single finger on you. Human, demon nor angel. _I’d protect you even against God myself_!”

 

His voice was so firm and resolute, his expression determined. It was totally unexpected. Akira broke into a small grin. “Wow Ryo, or Satan? Should I call you-“

 

“Ryo is fine,” Satan cut across furiously. 

 

“Fine, Ryo. Why are you... so eager to protect me like that?” It was a genuine question, and Akira wanted to know it; he could feel Satan’s conviction. At least he knew this part was the absolute truth; Ryo was not lying. 

 

Satan blinked. Then he blushed and backed away, dropping down on the couch opposite Akira. All that former fire and energy disappeared in an instant. He sighed and averted his eyes from Akira as the dark haired boy waited. “Well?”

 

_Because I... I love you,_ Satan mouthed but his voice was stuck. 

 

Akira raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 

Satan had never felt so shy or embarrassed before. His heart was beating in his chest like it was trying to break out. Was it so hard just to say it? Just three simple words. _C’mon you idiot, just say it._  

 

“That- That’s because I... I...” Satan twiddled his fingers again, his face burning. What happened to all that confidence and energy a few minutes ago anyway?

 

_You’ve lived for eons! You’re the great Satan! What are you hesitating for? Spit it out!!_

 

Somewhere Satan could hear his invisible brother Michael doing a facepalm. His cheeks blushed even redder, he did a few coughs, feeling a bajillion butterflies fluttering inside his stomach, making him all jittery.

 

_Was this how humans felt every time they confessed their feelings?_ Satan wondered, remembering the old times where he scoffed at all the ‘romance movies’ he was forced to watch when he still hadn’t believed in love.

 

Meanwhile Akira was starting to feel strange, because he wasn’t as dense as he liked to be. Just from watching Satan go red and nervous, he could tell the answer. But he didn’t want to make it awkward; he tried to deny it. _Surely it’s not what I’m guessing! This is Satan, the literal devil who had lived since forever! How could he fall for a normal human like me?_ Akira tried to convince himself.

 

As Satan began to fumble with the hem of his shirt, Akira gave a loud sigh and said, “It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me, Ryo! I’ll just have to believe you want the best for me or something.”

 

He got up and started to walk away, but before he had gone more than five steps, there was the sound of running and he was knocked down by a huge force from behind.

 

Satan had jumped and wrapped his arms around Akira, sending the latter onto the floor. The angel’s face was as red as a tomato by now, but he forced himself to scream, “Akira!!”

 

“Ryo?” Akira was aching, but his attention was on Satan who was lying on top of him with tears in his eyes. “Akira,” Ryo repeated, grabbing Akira by the shirt, his hands shaking. 

 

“I ... l-l-l- _love_ you!” He finally shouted, and shut his eyes in great embarrassment.

 

_Heavens, he did it!_ Satan said the words, and he felt so good! But he was also overcome with fear. The silence that followed his confession made his heart tremble, the terror of rejection gripping his soul. What would Akira think of him now?

 

Satan waited and waited, too frightened of the truth. He refused to open his eyes. Then he could hear a soft chuckle, and a hand running lightly through his short hair.

 

“Are you... serious, Ryo?”

 

Akira’s voice was soft. Satan slowly opened his eyes to look at Akira, his heart thumping.

 

“Yes,” Satan replied ever so gently, full of hope. “I really love you, Akira. I loved you ever since I met you. When we were kids, when you accepted and took me in, when we became best friends, I fell in love. With you.”

 

Akira smiled, feeling every bit of the fallen archangel’s emotions pouring into him. He never had anyone else love him like this before. It was different from his friends’ love, different from his parents’ love, and different from Miki’s love. He felt warm and happy inside. Just in that moment, all his distrust and suspicion was cast away. It was so good.

 

“I see. I’m sorry if I hurt you with my words earlier, I-“ 

 

“Don’t be!” Satan cried, shaking his head. “You should never be sorry. I’d forgive anything you do any day!”

 

Startled, the dark haired teen stared for a while, then broke into laughter. “Ryo! You’re so kind to me. I’m happy,” Akira ran his fingers through Satan’s hair again, beaming. Satan smiled back, still blushing, “I’m happy as long as you are. I want you to be happy forever.”

 

Now Akira was the shy one. _This Satan was just too adorable! The normally cold and calculating Ryo being all lovey._  How could he not blush over that reply?

 

“It’s so sudden,” Akira eventually spoke. “I was totally not ready for this.”

 

Satan caressed Akira’s cheek and said, “I know this is too sudden for you, and I understand if you need space.” It was hard for him to say such a thing, but right now he just wanted the best for Akira. He willed himself to prepare for any rejection. “If you want some time alone...”

 

“No,” Akira interrupted. “I just... well, I guess I love you too, Ryo. Not romantically, but as a friend, but! I guess I can try, try to... love you more than this.” Akira’s face reddened. He really meant it; he always loved Ryo as a friend, but he was entirely willing to go a step further. It felt natural. 

 

Tears of joy welled in Satan’s eyes as the blonde trembled and smiled. “Akira, this means... a lot to me,” he sobbed.

 

The traumatic memories of the past, the haunting image of a dead Akira... it was being washed away. The regret and guilt that burdened his heart was disappearing, making him feel so lightheaded and relieved. He no longer needed to apologise to the ghost of Akira that he had slain. It was like waking up from a nightmare. This was bliss.

 

Akira quickly wiped away Satan’s tears. “Don’t cry! It also means a lot to me.”

 

They both stayed like this until Akira groaned, saying how cold the floor was. With that they moved back to the couch, sitting side by side, both looking delightedly at each other. Then Akira was hit by a moment of absurdity.

 

“I can’t believe it,” Akira blurted. “The Devil is head over heels in love with me!” It seemed so incredible to him. The truth was amazing. 

 

Satan giggled like a girl, his heart beating so fast, full of joy. “It’s all your fault, Akira!” His voice was ecstatic, “You’re just so irresistible. I couldn’t help myself.”

 

“Satan, the embodiment of temptations being tempted himself? I should feel very proud of myself,” Akira remarked. 

 

“Yes, you should.”

 

They laughed some more, until they stopped and quiet took place. They stared into each others’ eyes, a silent conversation. Love needed no words to communicate; it was all emotion and understanding. 

 

It was how it should be.

 

Then finally Satan bent forward and gave Akira a deep kiss, his head fluttery as he revelled in his victorious confession. He felt Akira’s lips giving back all he needed, and their hands slowly roamed around each other. There were gasps and soft moans, and as tongues began to clash, Satan started to pull away at Akira’s clothes.

 

Akira tugged at Satan’s shirt, and when they were both topless, Satan said playfully, “Why don’t we carry on in my bedroom? The place where you took me for the first time.”

 

Akira smirked. “Good idea. Except this time Amon isn’t here to tempt me,” and he scooped Satan into his strong arms, heading for the bedroom.

 

Once they got there, Akira plopped Satan onto the huge bed and tore away at his trousers and boxers. A huge erection sprang forth, pulsing with vigour. Akira looked at it smugly while undressing himself and bringing out his own massive cock. He was half-erect, and looking at Satan all flustered and red made his body feel hot with need.

 

“Akira,” Satan said after they had another round of kissing. “Would you like to make love with me in my true form?” It was a suggestion that intrigued the Devilman, who remembered the beauty of Satan’s angelic figure.

 

With Akira’s solid agreement Satan arched his body and brought forth his twelve wings. Immediately, his physique changed into that of a combination of male and female. His skin glowed radiantly, slightly masking the redness of his cheeks. His milky breasts were bountiful, dotted with golden nipples that complimented his hair, while nestled beneath his shaft was his female sexual organ, untouched in all his years of existence. He had never been taken as an angel, but he was about to do it with the man he loved, and this excitement made him shudder with anticipation. “Akira,” Satan breathed; his voice had become more feminine.

 

“Ryo, you are so beautiful.” Akira stared at the glorious sight in contentment. He sighed as he leaned down to kiss Satan again sensually, letting the fallen archangel groan in delight. Then he felt Satan’s hands roam below to stroke his manhood, and he purred, the lust in his mind growing stronger. 

 

“Akira, give me... more,” Satan mumbled. His senses were clouded by ardour, his skin begging to be touched in every spot. The passion of love was like a fire that consumed his entire being, and he panted as Akira fondled his breasts, desperate for more. 

 

Akira’s body slowly shifted as black markings appeared on his shoulders and face, while his hands turned into claws. The arousal within the Devilman had caused his body to transform mid-way, and huge bat-like wings unfurled on his back as he gave a soft growl, licking Satan’s left ear while playing with one perked nipple, enjoying the small whines of happiness escaping from Satan’s lips.

 

“Ryo, you’re so tasty,” Akira murmured, his manhood throbbing so hard it began to ache. Satan smiled mischievously in response, running a hand through Akira’s hair.

 

Using the knowledge he shamefully obtained from watching porn, Akira shifted his fingers down, going past Satan’s throbbing member, searching for the sensitive little nub. When he found it, he then rubbed over Satan’s clitoris, igniting a few gasps of pleasure. After that, he dipped two digits into his lover, sensing the warm moisture as he slowly fingered Satan, relishing the feeling of the angel’s insides tightly sucking onto his fingers. Satan moaned and gasped, wrapping his arms around Akira. It was so good, and the angel felt like he was melting beneath his lover.

 

After a while Akira put in another, and when Satan was overflowing with juices below Akira pulled out  his fingers and got himself prepared to stick his erection into the blonde.

 

“I’m going to make you cry,” Akira’s gruff voice was full of hunger. He could wait no longer. 

 

Satan purred, his blue crystal eyes lustful. “Give it to me, my dearest Akira,” the angel whined, pressing his lips onto Akira as he spread his legs wide open. The aching need to be filled enveloped him and his wish was granted soon enough; Akira plunged all twelve inches of massive demon cock into his pussy and Satan cried out in pain and pleasure.

 

Before he could get used to the huge dick inside him, Akira had already started moving, sliding back and forth. Wet slapping noises filled the room as Akira rammed his hips into Satan’s worth, and screams of pleasure spewed from the angel’s mouth, claws digging into Akira’s back as he gripped tightly.

 

The world blacked out to him; all that mattered was Akira and his huge, thick pole endlessly thrusting into him without mercy, sending bouts of extreme pleasure into his mind. He couldn’t stop his voice; it was just too good and he moaned each time Akira hit the end of his womb, rubbing against his prostate at the same time.

 

“Ah— _ah-_ Akira, you’re d-driving me _crazy_!” Satan screamed, drawing blood as he dug and scratched harder, leaving red trails all over Akira’s back. The fallen angel’s wings were stretched to their fullest, the feathers all ruffled. It didn’t take long for him to feel the approaching sensation of climax. He spared no effort in holding back, moaning as he came, his angelic rod spraying thick, golden cum all over Akira’s stomach and chest.

 

_Wow_ , Akira grinned, _it’s all shiny and pretty._ He slowed down to admire Satan’s lewd body shaking and writhing from orgasming, then he picked up his pace, sliding in and out of the breathless angel. Satan whimpered and clung onto Akira with tears in his eyes, pleading, “Akira, no! Wait, _stop- I just came,_ so _sensitive_ —!”

 

His begging only fuelled the heat inside Akira, and the thrusts quickened. He wanted to plunder, dominate, conquer. Every part of Ryo was his, his, _his_! Ryo’s body, heart and soul — all of it belonged to him! His very own angel. He could feel Amon’s influence over him, making him possessive, wanting to claim and keep Ryo just for himself forever. 

 

“Cry more,” Akira ordered, “scream for my name. Tell me you want more of it, more of _me_!”

 

Satan‘s body arched as another small climax overwhelmed him, and soon he was sobbing in another round of ceaseless pleasure. “I want more of you, Akira! I want your dick, your cum, your love, everything-!”

 

Sweat and tears mingled as their bodies burned with heat while Satan cried out Akira’s name as the Devilman ravaged his wet cunt, juices and angelic cum spilling all over his thighs and the bed. As they moved non-stop, Akira could feel his own peak approaching, and he hastened his thrusting, sending Satan into deeper frenzy.

 

“Akira! _Yesss_!! Fuck me harder, _give me more,_ f-faster, ahh- _ah_ , I, _I love you!!_ Ilove you _,_ ” Satan was losing it, drowning in pleasure, nearing another orgasm. His bottom hole was gripping Akira so tightly that the demon could just cum instantly, but no, Akira wanted to savour a little more of his Ryo. 

 

“Ryo,” Akira growled, “I’m at my limit. I’m going to fill you up and make you mine forever, angel. I’m gonna make you so full you won’t stop worshipping me after this! Take all of my load inside you!!”

 

“Yes, _yes, please_!! _Akiraaaaa_!!!”

 

Satan threw his head back and moaned loudly in ecstasy as Akira buried himself to the hilt and ejaculated, shooting out all of his demonic seed while the fallen archangel came hard once more. He groaned with pleasure as he pumped Satan’s womb with gallons of fresh, thick cum, his orgasms overriding his senses. It just kept coming and coming, and before he knew it Satan’s abdomen was becoming bloated as if he was a few months pregnant. When he was finally done, he drew a deep breath and pulled out, admiring his work before him — cum gushed out of the angel’s ravaged slit and Satan gave a weak moan, still recovering from his orgasm.

 

Akira smiled, his eyes drinking in all of Satan’s beauty. The archangel was covered neck down in a mix of white and golden cum, his belly distended and legs still wide open. His puffy lower lips were twitching and had remained gaping wide open with a stream of cum flowing out of the abused hole, while his cock fell limp after shooting copious amounts of angelic semen.

 

Satan was sprawled on the bed, eyes unfocused and glazed with pleasure, drawing short breaths, his wings still trembling. After passing out for a second from the most powerful climax he ever had, he was feeling helplessly weak, his desecrated womb completely filled with seed. It took awhile before he could speak.

 

“Akira...” 

 

Satan’s voice was barely audible. Akira leaned in with a smile. “How did you like that, Ryo?” He placed a hand on Satan’s chest, feeling the angel’s heartbeat. It was thumping so hard and fast.

 

“You’re the best,” Satan mumbled, grinning. “I’ve never felt so good.”

 

“Really,” Akira raised an eyebrow. “You _never_ had sex before me? Even before that night?”

 

“Never,” Satan closed his eyes. “No one was worthy enough.”

 

_Wow_. His response made Akira overjoyed. It was quite something to know he was the first ever to sleep with a being such as Satan, an existence so high above him. Instead, “I love you,” was all Akira could say. 

 

They kissed and cuddled in bed and finally dozed off in each other’s arms. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: In my head angel anatomy is like /magical/ lol dick and prostate in front while ass behind and womb+vagina in between. 
> 
> Once I post something I won’t edit the content unless for typos. I think this chapter is alright, so Imma just post it :3


	11. A Period of Normalcy For Once

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff chapter?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise all my chapters are so long lol. 30k words now @-@

 

It was a brand new day!

 

Akira sprang out of bed, tossing his pillow over Satan who was sleeping naked beside him. It had been such a wild night, but he was starving right now, still covered in sticky cum all over. His body was already back to a human’s, and his back was full of scratches. 

 

He poked at Satan’s cheek, trying to wake his lover up. The blonde was still in angel form, and he was sleeping soundly; it was unusual for Satan not to be awake by sunrise. But a simple glance at the time on the wall told Akira it was already eleven o’clock, and he could hear Jenny outside vacuuming the floor.

 

Akira didn’t know that Jenny was a demon, so he panicked a little at the thought of Ryo’s trusted secretary finding out his true form. 

 

“Wake up, Ryo!” Akira patted the archangel’s face. No response. He tugged and pinched at the blonde’s arm. No response again!

 

“ _Hmmm_ ,” Akira frowned.

 

He pondered for a while, then a dirty idea entered his mind. He smirked and lowered his hands down to Satan’s nether regions, his left stroking Satan’s rod while the right teasing the angel’s sensitive clit.

 

It didn’t take long for Satan to start moaning, and another few more minutes passed before he opened his eyes in pleasure and confusion. 

 

“A-A-Akiraaa? What are, _ah_ \- you doing-!”

 

Satan clenched the mattress covers tightly as he moaned and shot out thick golden semen over Akira’s hand. There were several minutes of the blonde’s laboured gasps, turning Akira on. The Devilman contemplated having another round of sex, but he remembered Jenny was already back in the penthouse. It was too risky. 

 

“Rise and shine, princess. I’m hungry and we need to get a good shower.”

 

Satan grumpily pouted, “Well alright, but did you _really_ have to wake me up like this? I was having such a good dream.”

 

“ _What_ , you didn’t like it?” Akira asked playfully. “You were moaning so loudly.”

 

Satan blushed. “Of course I did, I loved it. You can do it next time if you want.”

 

They chuckled and kissed each other before Akira got up, stretching. He was about to pick up the clothes littering the floor when he saw Satan’s look of worry.

 

“What’s wrong?” Akira immediately asked. Satan’s pretty blue eyes locked onto his. “I can’t transform back,” the angel spoke.

 

There was hesitation, then Akira spouted a “What?” and settled back beside his lover. “How come? Is this normal?”

 

Satan shook his head in dismay. “I never had this issue before. Something is blocking my connection to do so. Or rather, I feel like it would hurt if I forced my way to transform back to human.”

 

Akira lifted his hand onto Satan’s forehead. _No signs of fever there. So whatever was the problem?_

 

“What do we do? We can’t possibly go out while you’re in angel form.” Akira glanced at the door. “Jenny’s just outside, and it’s not like you can leave the building like this either.”

 

Satan knitted his brows in deep thought and replied, “Oh don’t worry about Jenny. She knows.”

 

Flabbergasted, Akira blurted another “ _What?!_ ” and received an apologetic look. “Uhh, sorry I never told you this,” Satan said, “Jenny is a demon. She is on my side though. Just like you.”

 

_Surprise, surprise._ The Devilman’s eyes widened. “All this time she was a demon?”

 

“Yes. Her real name is Psycho Jenny.”

 

The name instantly clicked inside his head — this was the legendary Psycho Jenny, whose psychic powers were unmatched in every turn!

 

It was shocking news to Akira, but he quickly calmed down; there were bigger issues at hand. He wondered if Jenny could figure out the problem and suggested it to Satan, who agreed.

 

“It’s worth a try,” the angel said as he summoned for her.

 

Jenny stepped into the room the moment she heard her name being called, her expression carrying the usual haunting smile. She was dressed in her daily grey suit, looking tidy and proper. “My lord,” Jenny greeted respectfully.

 

Whether or not she was curious about the situation, Jenny sure didn’t show it.

 

“Jenny, Ryo’s in trouble!” Akira yelled, “He can’t transform back into his human self!” He flapped his arms wildly in the air, acting like a terrified mother hen who lost a chick. 

 

“Let me take a look,” Jenny replied calmly. She walked forward and placed a hand over Satan’s head, closing her eyes. She hummed for a few minutes, her brows knitted in focus, her body rigid. Then it was done. 

 

“There is a part of you that’s changing, my lord.” 

 

“What do you mean, Jenny?”

 

“Is it my fault?” Akira blurted right before Jenny could answer, and she threw him a stern look. The Devilman quickly shut his mouth.

 

“I can’t be sure yet. Your lower body structure is experiencing changes, it’s as if...”

 

Jenny hesitated and folded her arms.

 

_It’s as if you’re becoming pregnant, my lord_ , a telepathic voice echoed in Satan’s head. The blonde’s blue eyes widened, unable to process this information immediately. 

 

_Pregnant? Him?_

 

“As if what?” Akira asked impatiently, being out of the loop, but Jenny shook her head. “Nothing, I think it’s something you don’t have to worry about. If this carries on for another week or two, I might be able to make a proper confirmation.”

 

She bowed and left the room, leaving Akira and Satan behind alone. Akira scrambled to give Satan a hug, sensing something amiss; Satan had been silent since that.

 

The fallen archangel’s mind was in turmoil.

 

He never would’ve thought this could ever happen. Of course, he knew he had the capability to bear children, but never did it cross his mind that it would actually come like this; to think someone as great as him would become a mother. And it was Akira and his very own child. A proof of their love. Was it God’s blessing? 

 

“Akira,” Satan returned the hug and muttered after a while, “I’m alright. It could be due to the fact that last night was my first time having sex as an angel... so my body is undergoing shock therapy. Don’t worry!”

 

His little joke soothed Akira’s heart a little, but the dark haired boy wasn’t entirely convinced. “Are you really sure? You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

 

_I am, but it’s not something I can tell you so easily... right?_

 

Satan smiled and decided, “Not really, Akira, but don’t worry... I promise I’ll tell you when it’s time.”

 

He stood up, his angelic wings fluttering behind him. It didn’t matter if he could not turn back entirely; he could just shift mid-way.

 

So he put away his wings and shifted his upper body back into a human’s while keeping his lower part the same. “There,” Satan said, doing a little hop.

 

“My Ryo with a dick and vagina, I could get used to this,” Akira mumbled.

 

 

———————————————————————

 

 

The Koshien track event was arriving in two days, but Akira had most of his attention on Satan. For the past week he had skipped practice (not that he needed it anyway) and spent his time hanging out in Satan’s apartment instead, learning how to cook and accompanying his lover as the blonde marked numerous students’ essays. They mostly kissed and cuddled, talked and joked, enjoying their time together. At night they’d snuggle in bed, occasionally giving each other handjobs or blowjobs before sleeping. 

 

It was like the perfect life.

 

“You know Akira,” Satan muttered while writing a report in the living room, “you don’t even need to study or work after this. I can give you anything you want.”

 

Akira was reading a cookbook in the sofa beside the blonde. He flipped a page before he replied, “That sounds nice and all, but I want to be able to pull my own weight.”

 

“ _Pull your own weight?_ You’re barely a dent in my finances, love. I’m rich enough to buy the entire country. Legally and _illegally_ ,” Satan pointed out smugly.

 

“Yeah, let’s not go there. Just let me do my own thing, alright?”

 

Before Satan could respond, Akira’s phone buzzed and the latter picked up the call, “Hello, Miki?”

 

Satan’s eyes narrowed. 

 

“No Miki, I don’t really feel like going today either... what? What’s that? Oh please...”

 

Akira got up and headed to the kitchen to continue his conversation, leaving a jealous-looking Satan behind. When he returned after a long while, he had barely noticed the bitterness in Satan’s voice as the blonde said, “Well?”

 

“That was Miki,” Akira explained sheepishly. He plopped back onto the couch and picked up his book. “She was asking if I was going to practice today, but I said no, so she asked why... And I felt really bad that I had been bailing on her so much lately! So I told her the truth.”

 

“The truth about what?”

 

“The truth that I was dating you. I said I wanted to spend more time with you.”

 

Satan glared at Akira incredulously. “You told her that? How did she take it?”

 

Akira laughed. “Miki was dead surprised. Then she went a little crazy, but she congratulated me, and _oh_ \- she said we should all hang out tomorrow!”

 

There was a pause, then Satan typed away at his computer, saying, “No thanks. I’m not interested.”

 

“What? You can’t. We should go! I really want Miki to meet you and get to know you better... Miko will be joining us too. They’re my best friends, Ryo! It won’t be too awkward, I promise.”

 

Satan sighed. “I don’t... I don’t really wanna go, but... Will it please you a lot if I force myself to?”

 

Akira’s eyes sparkled with an instant “YES!!” and that sealed the deal. 

 

So on the next day, Makimura Miki and Kuroda Miki stood by the roadside, waiting for the new couple to show up. They had planned a whole day in town, curious and excited to meet the mysterious Asuka Ryo who charmed away Akira.

 

“Is he really as crazy as you say, Miki?” The red-haired Kuroda Miki, usually known as Miko, asked. She had heard of Asuka Ryo on the internet before. He often gave talks in boring science shows that she had little interest in, but he was cute, so he was popular.

 

“Yes,” the green-eyed Makimura Miki insisted. She made a pouty face at the memory of Ryo by the docks, saying, “He shot at us happily like it was no big deal. If that’s not crazy, I don’t know what is.”

 

Miko checked her watch. Displeasure etched upon her face as she realised the couple were late. Just as she was about to complain, there was a loud screech around the corner.

 

The girls turned and saw a white sports car racing over. “That’s Ryo’s car!” Miki recognised.

 

As the car skidded to a halt beside them, the window was scrolled down and Akira’s head popped out. “Miki, Miko! Hop in,” the dark-haired teen exclaimed. 

 

The girls obediently got in, sitting behind. Miko had never been in such a luxurious car before, so she looked around in awe, but Miki was a little upset. “What took you so long?”

 

As the car set off, Akira who was on the right seat of the front row explained, “Sorry Miki, we were stuck in traffic earlier. We had to drive really fast to get here!”

 

“Traffic?” Miki scoffed. “There’s no traffic at this hour! It’s not like you live far away either.”

 

“I’m serious, Miki!”

 

Akira gave her the most innocent look he could muster, but deep down he knew what actually happened. 

 

Just before they were leaving, things happened and Akira and Satan ended up fucking on the couch. Satan had taken the lead this time; Akira was on the receiving end, and because he had been an anal virgin up till then, his butthole was still aching. But he wasn’t going to reveal that.

 

“Whatever... so, are you going to introduce us properly?”

 

Miki had met Ryo three times by now, yet she barely knew him. It didn’t help that he was rude to her back at the Makimura residence, so her impression of Satan was very poor. 

 

“Oh sorry, so _umm_ , this is my best friend and lover, Asuka Ryo!” Akira sounded so proud that it made Satan grin as the fallen archangel kept quiet, eyes on the road. “We’ve known each other since we were kids, when I used to live in a village far away from here.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Ryo,” Miko and Miki said in unison.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both as well,” came the reply. “Akira often tells me about you since you’re both his best friends in school.”

 

“Oh?” Miki arched an eyebrow at Akira. “I guess that’s natural. So what do you like about Akira?”

 

_Straight to the point. What a beast,_ Miko gulped.

 

Akira was about to protest, but Satan quickly replied, “Everything, of course.” He acted like it was the most natural response in the world, unfazed by Miki’s question.

 

“Everything? Like what, you gotta be specific-“

 

“His appearance, personality, character, the way he smiles and laughs, or the way he cares about everyone around him. His heart is so big and gentle, so kind and homely. He’d accept anyone regardless of who they are or were.”

 

It felt like he was reading from a cheesy script. Miki and Miko stared in amazement before breaking into fits of laughter, while Akira blushed.

 

“Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” Miko cried, patting Akira’s back.

 

Even Miki joined in. “At least he passed the first test. That’s good.”

 

“First test? Christ, _why_ , are you putting him on probation or something?” Akira said faintly. He didn’t think his friends wanted to judge Satan.

 

“We have to make sure he’s right for you,” Miko pointed out. “We don’t want you to get hurt!”

 

Satan gave an offended snort. “I’d never hurt Akira, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he snapped.

 

“We can’t be sure unless we see it with our own eyes!” Miki replied hastily. She squeezed Akira’s cheeks, earning a growl from her friend. “Akira is like a brother to me, Ryo, and I don’t ever want to see him cry.”

 

“Don’t worry.” The car slowed down, reaching the shopping mall they had planned to spend the day in. “Akira is the most important person in the world to me. I will never let him be sad.”

 

The firmness in his voice convinced Miki, and she decided to back down. The four got out of the car once Satan had found a parking lot, and they headed into the mall.

 

It was the biggest shopping complex in town, so there was a lot of things to do here. As they got in, crowds of people rushed by to and fro; it was a busy day. The girls turned to Akira and Satan. “So where do you wanna go? What should we do first?” asked Miko. 

 

Satan hardly ever stepped into such places. He shrugged and glanced at Akira.

 

“How about shopping? We can look for clothes,” the dark haired teen suggested. His shirts ripped every time he transformed, so he always needed to buy more. Thankfully Satan had the funds to keep him supplied.

 

“Good idea, I know a few stores here that have good stuff,” Miki said. The three followed after her. When they got to the first store, it was chock full with people; there was a huge discount bargain that day and everyone wanted to buy something. Satan wore a face of vexation, citing how he disliked squeezing through crowds, so they shifted to the next shop on Miki’s list.

 

It was a smaller but quieter place, so they roamed freely in pairs. Miko wanted to buy new pants and Akira needed more shirts. So Miki went with Miko and Akira walked with Satan.

 

“See, the day isn’t going so bad, is it?” Akira was looking pretty cheerful as he shifted through a rack. Satan stuck out his tongue. “You know I’m only doing this for you.”

 

“But I want you to enjoy it! How’s this one,” Akira took out a nice black T-shirt with a huge red heart design on it. Satan glanced at it nonchalantly. “It’s nice. Just take whatever you want and throw it in the basket. I’ll pay for everything.”

 

Satan was carrying one of the store carts, and after some thinking Akira decided to throw in the shirt he chose, plus a white version. “It can be our couple T-shirt,” Akira explained cheekily.

 

Satan couldn’t help but giggle at how adorable he found Akira. Sometimes even the little things mattered. “Fine. We can wear it together after your track competition tomorrow. I’ll bring it for you.”

 

“That’s a great idea! We can have dinner after I’m done.”

 

They made more small talk as Akira looked through the clothes. In the end he got himself five pieces, while another two were for Satan. They met up with the girls after payment, then Miko suggested to go to another clothing store, since she didn’t buy anything yet.

 

This time when they got there, the four decided to split into different pairs. Akira made off with Miko, much to Satan’s dismay, as Miki wanted some time alone with the blonde. 

 

Since he had no intention to buy anything, he only trailed after Miki, who wanted to check out the shop’s dresses. As expected, she began asking questions the moment they were alone.

 

“So, Ryo. Tell me more about yourself,” the Makimura girl implored. Satan felt a little reluctant, but he thought of his mission to please Akira. 

 

“I’m just a normal person. I lived in the States for ten years. I currently work as a professor for a university there. I like the colour white. I enjoy writing. There’s nothing much to say.”

 

Miki threw him a look. “Wow, you sound like a robot. Try to be more enthusiastic!”

 

She flipped through a row of green dresses, the hue similar to the shade of her eyes. “How about Akira then? How did the two of you get together?”

 

“It just happened.” Satan sounded bored. He wanted to get away, his heart yearning for Akira...

 

Miki stopped and crossed her arms, sighing. It was difficult to get through to him like this. She cleared her throat and said, “Listen, Ryo. We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, so I apologise if it was my fault, but I really want to understand you better. This isn’t for me. It’s for Akira’s own good!” There was fire in her eyes. She was being very serious. She continued to speak. 

 

“Akira has been a little brother to me ever since we were kids. I know you both technically met each other first, but after he moved to this town he’s been with me everyday, and I really care about him. I don’t mind if I have to offend you, yell at you or beat you up if I need to! So you should be getting this clear, alright?”

 

“I... understand,” Satan replied, narrowing his eyes. This girl sure was a pain in the ass... she was so protective as well. Yet this gave him the feeling that Akira would be in good hands if he had to leave his darling with her.

 

“Yes, so let’s get along better for starters,” Miki added. “I’ll begin with myself then. Akira's not really keen to talk about you for some reason, maybe he’s just shy about it. Either way it means I don’t know much about you, so I could only get you this.”

 

She dug into her handbag and brought out a small box. “It’s a congratulatory gift,” Miki told Satan, who accepted it blankly. “For... what?”

 

There was a small laugh. “For being Akira’s first boyfriend! Or partner, whichever you prefer. He’s never been in a relationship before, and he seems overjoyed around you. I want to see him like this more often!”

 

Satan’s cheeks flushed. “Thank you,” he answered, a thrill in his voice. _So Akira looks really happy around me, even to outsiders. That’s nice._

 

He tucked away the box in his thick white coat, thinking about ways to continue the conversation. He settled on the first question that came to mind. “So Miki, I heard from Akira that you and your family are devout Christians.”

 

Miki nodded, returning to check out the next row of dresses. “Yes, we are. Why?”

 

“Does it bother you with the fact that Akira and I are both male?”

 

“ _Hmm_ ,” Miki frowned. “To be honest, it really surprised me. Yet who am I to complain? Love is love, and Akira’s choice is his own. It doesn’t change a thing.” She glared at Satan and added, “He’s still my Akira, and he loves you so much. He’s happy with you. I’ll never stop him.”

 

On saying this, she managed a warm smile. 

 

“That’s great to hear,” Satan replied coolly. If Makimura Miki was against it, she might influence Akira with her objection! That would be bad. He might’ve had to resort to drastic measures.  _Thank God_. 

 

As he was thinking this, Miko and Akira appeared. Miko was carrying a bag of new clothes, looking satisfied. “How’s the shopping?” Miko asked. 

 

“I think I’m good. Let’s go somewhere else,” Miki said.

 

They decided to go to a shoe shop next when Akira saw his favourite dessert store on the way. He stared at it for a moment and told the girls, “Hey! I want to go to Sweenie’s and grab some sweets. How about you two check out shoes and meet me and Ryo at Sweenie’s later?”

 

“Sure, see you later,” the girls replied together. So Akira took a surprised Satan and dragged him by the hand, bringing the blonde to a candy themed store.

 

“I’m hungry,” Akira explained. “I love the cakes here, so I hope you don’t mind?”

 

_Ah, Akira’s ravenous appetite_. “Of course I don’t,” Satan laughed. They queued for a few minutes and got a seat by the glass panels overlooking the lower floors of the mall. When Satan stared through the menu, he found it was full of cakes, different flavours of ice-cream and various types of waffles.  He was not interested in sweets, so he just ordered lemonade while Akira called for a slice of chocolate cake and vanilla ice-cream.

 

As the food was served, Akira chose to ask, “So what did Miki say to you?”

 

“Nothing much,” Satan said. “She asked me about myself, then said how precious you were to her and stuff. Maybe she’s jealous?”

 

“No way,” Akira denied. He dug his spoon into the cake, his eyes sparkling. “We’re more of siblings than friends or lovers! We don’t look at each other in romantic ways, Ryo. If anything, I think you’re the jealous one!”

 

Satan remembered the last timeline. When Miki had died, Akira was cradling her head so preciously... so heartbroken, so sad. _Yes, he was definitely jealous for good reasons._

 

“Akira, even if I was, it’s not going to affect our relationship. It’s only natural that I have something against her being so affectionate to you. You are my lover, you’re _mine_.”

 

“No, it _will_ affect us,” Akira snapped. “I’m not your possession. You have to give me some space, you know? Others can choose to love me whether you like it or not, and also I do care if the both of you hate each other. It makes me, the guy in the middle feel really bad, Ryo!”

 

Satan sighed. “I know. Okay Akira, I promise you I’ll try my best, okay?”

 

“You better,” Akira huffed. Nevertheless he was pleased that Satan was willing to try to give in, and he lifted his spoon. “Ryo, try this.”

 

Satan glared at the piece of cake on the spoon. “No, it’s sweet, I don’t like-“

 

“Try it!”

 

“No.”

 

“Say _ahh_!”

 

There was no helping it, especially when Akira was so persistent... Satan opened his mouth and chomped down, tasting rich chocolate and spongy cake. It was really sweet. He swallowed and made a face.

 

Akira watched and chortled, happy to have succeeded getting his lover to taste his favourite cake. Then he talked about himself, mentioning the Makimuras and the family cat Tako. Later on he spoke about his favourite animals, and as he fed a few scoops of ice-cream into an unwilling angel, they both debated about random things like how Jenny seemed to love wearing the same thing everyday or how tall the tallest building in Japan was.

 

It was long after the two of them had finished their food and drinks when the girls finally showed up with more bags of things they bought. 

 

As the day went on, the four visited different shops and places, making casual and light conversation. Satan even managed to get into a few topics, trying to fit in as Akira wanted; Miki saw his effort and was pleased, and she gave him an easy time. After an early dinner they went to watch a horror movie (as Miki said, ‘Ain’t no movie better than a horror one for couples!’) and Akira held Satan closely throughout the movie, trembling in fear at imaginary ghosts. The blond found it ridiculous that Devilman, the one who slew demons almost every night could be so afraid of fictional monsters, but he loved it when Akira clung into him so tightly. At times during the movie’s non-action scenes, he would also blush when Akira held his hand and pecked him on the cheek, showering him with affections that he enjoyed greatly. 

 

Finally, it was time to go home.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Miko told the group, taking her leave first. Her house was nearer so she chose to go home on foot, declining Satan’s offer to drove her back. That left him with Akira and Miki, and as they got into the car, he checked the time. 

 

“It will be ten o’clock when you both get home,” Satan pointed out. He started the engine while Miki gave a groan. “It’s that late? We need to wake up early tomorrow to prepare for the track event!”

 

“We’ll be fine,” Akira said. He would be sleeping over at the Makimuras tonight, so he could go to the Koshien stadium together with Miki tomorrow. His heart pained a little to have to be apart from Satan for one night, but it had to be done.

 

“I will be there before the event begins,” Satan said. “Meet me before six?”

 

“We’ll have dinner after the event,” Miki told him, “but we could grab a light snack.”

 

“Sounds great. Now let’s get you both home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update this time, but I got some block. Anyway I wanted to write some fluff and light stuff for a change. I planned this fic to have a bit of everything: fluff angst smut etc etc....  
> >_<)/ next chapter will be about The running part!


	12. Jenny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suspense.

 

 

On the day of the Koshien Track Event, Satan felt uncomfortable. He could remember the last time it happened - during the event, he had revealed Koda’s true identity against Akira’s wishes. He could recall how the world changed after that. 

 

But this time without his meddling, Koda would not reveal his true form, so it should be fine, right?

 

“Jenny, I need you to make sure the demons are not planning to do anything during the event,” Satan said before they left the penthouse. It was better to get her to keep an eye on the demons just in case. 

 

Jenny was in her usual grey attire, wearing the same haunting smile as always. She nodded dutifully. “I will keep a lookout, Lord Satan. Just sit back and enjoy your time in the stadium.”

 

———————————————————————

 

Driving over was uneventful. When Jenny dropped him off at the Koshien Stadium, it was still early, so he decided to wait and chill at the cafe beside it. 

 

Satan was carrying a white bag as he waited for Miki and Akira. Inside the bag were a pair of the couple T-shirts that Akira had gotten for them from the mall yesterday, as well as a bottle of water and Miki’s gift - a cute, handmade stuffed doll of Akira. It was a present that really surprised Satan, and he found himself cherishing it and feeling grateful towards the Makimura girl. Clearly she had made it with care and love; the doll was simple but the sewing was beautiful and neat. He made a mental note to get Miki something good in return. 

 

“Hey! Did you wait long?” Akira showed up with Miki and Miko behind him. They were in their green and black sports attire, looking pumped up and ready to go.

 

Satan smiled at the sight of them. “Not really, grab a seat. You guys should get something to eat, I’ll pay for it.”

 

“Really, Ryo? That’s so nice of you!” Miko chirped. 

 

Miki nodded in approval, and Satan smiled at her. On seeing this Akira grinned, feeling even better than he was before. He could feel that the tension and bad air between Miki and Satan were clearing up, and there was no better reward for him than this. 

 

After a light meal and short conversation, they parted ways and Satan went alone to the stadium, looking forward to seeing his lover win the race. They had planned to celebrate the night in his penthouse if they got first place in the race, and Satan had no doubt they would - Koda was a superstar, but Koda’s teammates were supposedly normal humans. On the other hand Akira’s team had him, the Track Field Witch Miki and Miko, who was secretly also a Devilman - Satan already knew this fact since the beginning - the odds of them winning were high. 

 

———————————————————————

 

The sky darkened and powerful lights covered the whole arena. The crowd was blaring with screams and cheers as the sirens sounded, and the whole event was being covered by every TV station in Japan as the athletes raced across the track.

 

Satan was watching from his seat at the uppermost row; he could see Akira standing around, waiting for his turn, looking excited. The baton was passed to Miko. The red-headed girl looked triumphant when she grabbed it and Miko ran as fast as she could, blowing the crowd away in amazement at her speed. She was easily catching up to Koda. 

 

“Having fun, are we?”

 

A beautiful blond-haired male was seated beside him, his face similar to Satan’s but a little more muscular, while his hair was much longer. He wore a fur-lined parkas, trousers and boots, all fully white in colour. 

 

“What are you doing here?” Satan groaned. He didn’t want Michael to spoil his night.

 

“I wanted to watch the show with you, Lucy. It’s extremely boring to constantly hide in plain sight, looking at you while not being able to interact with anyone. You usually just sit and punch away on your metallic manmade electronics, eat uninteresting human food, take a shower or go to sleep. Typical mundane behaviour. The only thing worth watching was your moments copulating with Akira.”

 

Satan raised a hand and considered slapping Michael, but he stopped and squeezed Michael’s back instead. “Do you enjoy watching people having sex, Michael? For someone so pure, you seem to like tainting your eyes with it.”

 

“Only to revel at the sight of your pathetic face whenever you get an orgasm, brother. It’s pure entertainment.”

 

Michael pulled Satan’s hand away from his back, looking smug. His grip was firm; Satan hissed and shook his arm away. “You always say that.  _Urghhh_! I had enough. Go away Michael! You’re ruining my day. Find someone else to bother. Go to church or something.”

 

“I can’t, I need to keep an eye on you,” Michael sighed.

 

Satan groaned and edged a few seats away, trying to get Michael out of his sight. The last thing he needed was his brother’s annoying presence.

 

Once settled, he whipped out his phone. It was Akira’s turn to grab the baton soon and Satan zoomed in, ready to take shots. He could see Koda still running along the track; the man had decided to run the rest of the race over his own teammates after seeing how Miko had outrun him.  As soon as Akira grabbed the baton, Satan gasped in excitement and snapped a few photos of Akira, cheering his lover on silently.

 

He looked so cool! Zipping past the track like a blur, his hair and clothes flapping in the wind as he ran, a look of excitement plastered on his face. Just staring at Akira made him feel flustered.

 

“Oh, there it is again! The lowly smile you wear whenever you feast your eyes upon the human,” Michael whispered mischievously behind Satan’s ear. 

 

_Goddamn it Michael!_

 

“What the hell, stop disturbing me!” Satan snarled, whipping around to slap Michael. 

 

Unfortunately for him the archangel’s reflexes were too fast for a human. Michael caught his hand easily and sniggered. “I told you I’m bored Lucy. Please entertain me.”

 

“No,” Satan gritted his teeth.

 

“Yes,” Michael chortled. “Don’t you owe me big time for calming your nerves the last time Akira went missing? All you need to do now is to amuse me.”

 

“That was- that was different! He was going to come home anyway. You would have changed nothing,” Satan barked. He pulled his hand from Michael’s grip. “Why are you being so persistent tonight? You’re...”

 

Satan’s eyes narrowed, his voice cold. “You’re hiding something from me. What is it? _Speak_!”

 

Michael snorted. As if his twin brother had any control him. “I would tell you,” he said slowly, “if you delight me with some fun. How about you introduce me to Akira?”

 

“No! No way.” That was a ludicrous idea! But Satan knew that whenever Michael showed up, it meant he had something important to tell him. He thought for a bit. 

 

_Should he compromise?_

 

“Take me out tomorrow, I want to experience human joys,” Michael took the initiative.

 

“Deal!!” The reply was instant. “So what did you want to tell me?”

 

Michael’s grin was wicked. “Your demon guardian Jenny is in trouble.”

 

———————————————————————

 

When it came to psychics, Psycho Jenny would be number one.

 

She was unique in her powers and unrivalled in battle, save for Zennon and Satan. However that did not mean she was invincible.

 

There were ways to counter her powers; tools that could be invented to circumvent her metaphysical abilities. Thus it was what Zennon (or rather, Zei, Non and Nuga) had their men attempt - finding a way to capture the powerful, proud demoness.

 

Of course it wasn’t easy to do so, but at the very least Zei had managed to find humans capable enough to invent a helmet that could prevent Jenny’s attacks from influencing the victims’ minds for a short duration. So once he had the prototypes ready, he commanded a small group of demons and had his general Aleda lead them.

 

“She’ll be patrolling the area where Satan will be watching his human scum, so make sure you get into a possible position and put on your helmets. It will hide you from Jenny’s detection and psychic attacks for five minutes each time when you activate it.”

 

Zei was busy directing Aleda and her group through a screen when he received a call from Nuga. His demoness partner sounded frantic. “Zei!” The shrill voice hissed at the end of the line, “Is your team ready yet? The human race event is about to start!”

 

“Patience,” Zei scowled. “As long as we divert Satan’s attention away from us, he will never notice a thing until it’s too late.”

 

“You better hurry! We won’t be getting a chance like this again!”

 

With that Nuga cut the call. Her words rang through Zei’s mind; he frowned. To fight against Satan was no mere task, and every opportunity represented had to be taken seriously. There was no room for error. 

 

———————————————————————

 

Michael grinned as he watched his brother’s face turn pale. The blue eyes that mirrored his were laced with fear and worry, the fallen angel’s expression subtly shifting into shock. “Where is she? What’s happened to Jenny?”

 

“I felt a weak wave of telepathic blast somewhere nearby. It felt like whoever was giving out the blast was cornered or hurt, possibly  _dying_. I assume it’s Jenny, since she’s the only one with such ability.”

 

Satan gritted his teeth. Michael was probably right. He didn’t know where Jenny was right now, but he had the feeling it was serious, and yet... his blue eyes darted to the track field, where Akira had just finished and won. The crowd had turned ablaze, ardent with joy and excitement, screaming and chanting the names of the winners.

 

He didn’t want to miss it for the world.

 

_But Jenny_... “Michael, come with me please. I want to finish it up fast and come back before Akira realises I’m gone,” Satan clasped his hands together, his voice pleading.

 

“My my, with a look like that, it’s hard to say no to you, Lucy,” Michael arched an eyebrow with mock laughter.

 

They squeezed out through the frenzied crowd, Michael leading the way to the location where he felt the source of the wave.

 

Unbeknownst to them, their every move was being watched and monitored by camera. 

 

———————————————————————

 

“Imbeciles!”

 

Jenny’s true form was on full display as she struggled against a group of demons.

 

Because their helmets were protecting them, Jenny’s attacks did nothing; she quickly realised this fact and tried to float away, but vines and tentacles gripped her limbs, preventing her escape. She was not the kind of demon who fought head on; she did not have the strength. She was trapped. 

 

To think she would die here like this. How unbecoming.

 

_Please forgive me, Lord Satan_.

 

Jenny was too ashamed to contact her lord telepathically, so she merely uttered this in her heart. She did not want to admit defeat to a weak bunch of demon lowlifes with a bunch of manmade toys. With this, she emitted a blast of sorrowfulness, one that barely reached the stadium nearby — Michael who was bored easily picked it up, but she could not have known. 

 

There were the sound of footsteps approaching as Jenny awaited her death. She wondered why they were not finishing her off yet. 

 

“Hello, Psycho Jenny, great demoness of the mind. How are you?”

 

Jenny stared at the figure that just entered the scene, recognising the sole female part of Zennon. “Nuga,” she greeted coldly. 

 

Nuga was also wearing the helmet that shielded her mind. The thick metal case had covered Nuga’s whole head, but the voice was unmistakably hers. She cackled. 

 

“Psycho Jenny, you’ve done a great deal for us! But things have changed, yet you remain loyal to the angel who swore to stand by our side and then betrayed us! Have you no shame?”

 

Jenny gave Nuga a silent, deceitful glare.

 

“Are we not all demons? Why would you betray your own race?” Nuga sounded exasperated, trying to get an answer. “Why do you continue to serve someone who wants to wipe us all?”

 

There was another long silence. Then Jenny opened her mouth to speak. 

 

“Lord Satan has seen what the future holds if he helped the demons. Nothing will change in the end. War and ruin, deaths of every demon and man. Then death by the angels. It will be a never ending cycle, a hopeless battle. I’ve seen the pain and suffering he felt. I decided I will support him, no matter what he chooses.”

 

The answer stunned Nuga and the demons around her. None were expecting Jenny to reply, nor to give such detailed explanation. It was rare enough to hear her speak in the first place. 

 

“So,” Nuga started after a pause. “You mean to say he’s given up. He saw a lost cause and he gave up! But yet you still follow him, like a blind fool.”

 

Behind her, Aleda dared to say, “If he’s seen the future, can’t he just choose to avert it by leading us down the right way? There is no way our former lord would just give up like that! He’s fought so hard for us back then!”

 

Jenny kept quiet. She found Aleda’s words a little hurting. It was true that everything he did was for himself and the demons back then. He fought hard for their future against the angels. 

 

But then, he met Akira. That was when everything changed. The weak emotion called Love. 

 

No matter what Jenny could say or do, she knew Satan would not change his mind now. So she would only follow him, if that was what he desired!

 

“It seems there’s no more use talking to you. You refuse to come back to our side,” Nuga sighed after realising Jenny would speak no more. Then she sensed something. Nuga turned to Aleda and gave her last order, and quickly slipped into the shadows of the night.

 

“It was a pleasure fighting by your side when you were one of us,” Aleda lamented before she called out, “Kill her!”

 

———————————————————————

 

When Satan got to the scene, all there was left of it was a pool of ichor. Jenny was not there. 

 

“Jenny! Jenny!” He desperately cried. Panic and fear tore at his chest, a deep pain that spread through his blood as he flew in his angelic form. The light he emitted in the dark alley was bright enough to attract more demons nearby. As they came at him, he blasted them away furiously, shredding their bodies into ribbons of flesh. 

 

Behind him Michael flew in golden armour, his magnificent weapon in hand. His disgust of demons was etched upon his face as he slashed at the vile creatures seeping out from the shadows, displaying his incredible skill at wielding the spear. Again and again they appeared, and he would cut non-stop; after a while the numbers dwindled. 

 

“They’re retreating,” Michael told Satan, who was still in a furious frenzy. Finally when the last demon was cut down, the entire alley spilled in demonic blood, Satan stood naked under a street lamp, his twelve wings drenched in ichor. 

 

“Jenny’s not here,” Michael pointed out the obvious, unafraid of his brother’s anger. Rather, he would say that he enjoyed it. Naturally Satan turned around and raised a fist, striking at his angelic brother. The punch connected onto metal with a loud _clang_ as Michael raised his elbow to shield himself.

 

“Shut up!” Satan roared, his eyes burning with tears. “I will find her and I won’t stop killing these scum until I do!”

 

Jenny, _Jenny_. He didn’t think he’d feel this way without her. Always taking her for granted. He remembered the smile she had everyday, the suit she always wore and the orders he gave that she never failed to follow.

 

Without Jenny, life would be... _lesser_. 

 

“Aren’t these the scum you loved so much in the first place? It’s funny seeing you loathe them after all you did to Father and me, with the demons.”

 

“Don’t... push it,” Satan barred his teeth at Michael, ready to strike again.

 

The archangel grinned. “Fine, let’s continue our search, shall we? As long as we can find her, I can heal Jenny if she’s still alive. But you try to punch me one more time and I promise you I’ll just stand and watch her die.”

 

On hearing this Satan growled and turned away, spreading his wings to fly. Michael followed closely behind, amused at how easy it was to make his fallen twin dance to his rhythm like a doll on strings. He could get addicted to this. 

 

They flew and flew, following a mysterious trail of ichor that Michael had pointed out early on. Finally they reached an abandoned construction site, where the trail ended. Satan had a feeling, and he called out, “Jenny?”

 

_I’m here, my lord,_ a voice spoke feebly in his head. Satan’s eyes widened. He darted into the cold dark building, trying to feel for Jenny. His heart was thumping fast against his chest, his wings fluttering in the air. A strong indescribable feeling grew in his stomach. He swerved around a corner and went into an unfinished room and gasped. 

 

“Jenny!”

 

A wave of relief washed over him as he laid his eyes on a huge mass of red hair lying on the floor, a pair of huge golden eyes glowing in the darkness that ebbed away at his light.

 

There lay Psycho Jenny, her body covered in ichor, her limbs broken, chunks torn out from them. She was badly hurt, and her huge eyes were half-closed. Michael quickly got to her side and started using his healing abilities, placing a palm on her head as he did his work.

 

Slowly but surely, she was returning to the world, her breaths stabilising as time passed. Satan sat beside her body, his tears of worry dropping onto the cement floor. He didn’t notice Michael’s look of disgust at him. 

 

“My lord,” Jenny tried after a while. Her wounds were disappearing quickly, her limbs restored. “We should leave this place before the demons come back.”

 

“To hell with them! I don’t care how many show up, I’ll kill them all,” the fallen angel hissed. “How dare they attack you. The nerve! I’ll find Zennon after this and wipe him out. We should start searching intensively on the network.”

 

“We can strategise when we get back, Lord Satan, but first we must leave. I have tricked the demoness Aleda into thinking I am dead,” Jenny mumbled. “Not to mention, what about the human event? Weren’t you supposed to be at the stadium with Akira?”

 

“The event!” Satan gasped, suddenly remembering. He looked at the time; it was an hour since he left the stadium. It meant Akira and the others must have been finished by now. He had to go back!

 

Then another realisation hit him. Despite being in bad shape and so near death, Jenny still cared about him more than herself. His priorities and wishes were above her own well-being! Jenny was the uttermost loyal servant he could ever have. 

 

“Thank you,” Satan whispered, giving Jenny a kiss on the cheek, feeling emotionally touched. He smiled as she blushed fondly. After that he instructed Michael to bring Jenny back to his apartment, and then flew off towards the stadium.

 

Meanwhile, Akira and the girls Miko and Miki were holding their medals and trophies as they took photos with the school track club members outside the stadium.

 

Akira had noticed Satan’s disappearance earlier, but he had been too preoccupied to contact the blonde. There were so many photos to take, and reporters were asking so many questions about their speed and record-breaking achievements. However after a while Miki had also asked him about it, “Where’s Ryo? We should be done in fifteen minutes here. He promised to pick us up right?”

 

“I don’t know Miki. Maybe he went to the loo. I’ll check my phone.”

 

Akira whipped out his cellphone as he said that. When his eyes darted onto the screen, he froze. There was an unnamed message. 

 

_We need to talk. - Z_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter with some action ~ getting hard to write these as I rack my brains figuring out the PLOT :o  
> As always please leave your comments I really love reading them <3 I appreciate them so much.


	13. Deep Laced Suspicions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boi this took longer than I expected. But I’m finally releasing it now.

When Satan showed up, he had already gotten a clean batch of white clothes. Akira, Miko and Miki had been waiting for him for half an hour, but when he told them he had gone away because someone spilled drinks over his expensive coat, they nodded with understanding. After that they set off cheerfully to Satan’s penthouse, oblivious to the thoughts rampaging through his head. 

 

_Zennon was behind Jenny’s attack, there’s no mistaking it. I need to act fast and find him before he does something worse._

He was so immersed in his thoughts that he almost bumped into a few cars on the road, and Miki had to tell him off to get Satan to focus. 

 

Later on when they got to the apartment, to Satan’s surprise, Michael opened the door. His angelic twin had donned the same human look and outfit he wore back at the stadium, eyes shining and possessing a radiant smile as he looked at the group. 

 

“Who’s that?” Akira asked, shocked.

“He looks quite like you, Ryo!” Miki noted.

Miko said with a stunned expression, “He’s so... beautiful!”

 

“Hello!” Michael chirped, avoiding Satan’s eye contact. “I’m Ryo’s older brother, Michael. You can call me Mike!”

 

“Nice to meet you, Mike,” the group greeted enthusiastically except Satan, who stared daggers at Michael. _How dare he!_ Not only did Michael dare to show himself before Akira, he also impersonated as his _older_ brother?

 

_I was born first! Screw you Michael!_ Satan screamed in his head.

 

After Michael ushered the group into the living room, Satan pulled his brother to the side angrily, hissing, “Michael! What are you doing?!”

 

“Woah,” Michael looked impressed. “Just relax brother, they won’t know a thing. I have got a whole backstory thought up if they ask any questions.”

 

“Not that! The fact you even dared to show yourself- are you trying to ruin my life? Because I have a feeling you enjoy doing _everything I don’t want you to do!”_

 

Michael huffed. “Oh really? So you didn’t want me to heal Akira or Jenny? Or the time Akira went missing and I came to tell you it was fine, that he’d be back soon?”

 

Satan choked on his words and found it hard to comeback to that. Curse it, this son of a bastard sure loved to rub it in his face. He should never let Michael get the chance to help him again.

 

“You owe me,” Michael poked a finger at Satan’s chest, smiling mischievously. “You also promised to take me out and have fun. I say there’s no better entertainment than hanging out with your favourite humans.”

 

“I- I don’t think that’s a good idea. You might... let slip something. The humans should not know about you. I don’t want them to!” Satan stammered. If Akira knew about Michael’s relationship to him... _if Akira decided that Michael was a good thing and acted all nice and buddy with his brother..._ Satan felt disgusted.

 

“Aww, I told you not to worry. I got it all covered.”

 

Then Michael’s eyes shifted to the right and his smile widened. “Hello, Akira.”

 

Satan snapped to look at his lover standing by the corridor with confused eyes. “Oh, _Akira_! Hey,” Satan laughed nervously. “How long have you been standing there?”

 

“Not long, I just wanted to grab the drinks from the fridge,” Akira said after a moment of hesitation. The dark-haired teen walked past awkwardly, opening the huge refrigerator beside Michael. 

_He’s lying, he heard something,_ Satan thought in a panic. This was so bad. 

 

“So who is Michael, exactly?” Akira grabbed a few cans of beer and arched an eyebrow, squinting at the beautiful blonde. “I never knew you had a brother, or family for that matter.”

 

Michael grinned smugly. “I’m really his older bro, and Ryo’s been telling me so much about you. He said he’s recently dating you after many years of unrequited love! I think it’s really touching. It must be God’s way of doing things, for He must have seen my brother’s love and pitied him!”

 

“Shut up Michael! U- _uhhh_ , Akira, I found him by a-a-accident over the internet!” Ryo stumbled over his words as he explained on a whim, wishing he could give Michael a good kick in the guts. “It was really sudden, b-but he wanted to come over and visit me today. So he’s staying over until time comes for him to go back to... the States!”

 

Akira nodded slowly, eyes laced with suspicion. “So Michael is... human, right?”

 

Michael laughed. “Your boyfriend sure is cute and funny,” he said. 

 

“Yes, yes, he’s human,” Satan said hastily. He barely noticed the gloomy expression that appeared on Akira’s face. After a pause, Akira nodded and walked back to the living room with his arms full of drinks.

 

“I need to prepare some snacks and call for delivery service for dinner,” Satan turned back to Michael. “Where is Jenny, by the way?”

 

“I put her in her room. She’ll recuperate well as long as she doesn’t get up for two days,” Michael replied nonchalantly.

 

For the rest of the night, Michael helped Satan in the kitchen, learning to make fried omelette and toast with caviar from a very impatient fallen archangel. Unfortunately, Michael was a quick learner, and when the food was served to Akira and the girls everyone agreed that it was splendidly done and totally delicious, much to Satan’s dismay. 

 

Later on, expensive food from a nearby restaurant was delivered, and the group quickly had their fill before they opened all the cans of beer, drinking the night away, chatting and laughing. Michael joined in easily -another moment to Satan’s horror- and the girls had fun talking to him. They made casual jokes, discussed their hobbies, touched on the Miki-Miko rivalry and even talked about God. Miki was a religious person after all, and it pleased her when she found how knowledgeable Michael was on the Bible. She even discovered new insights to the meaning of some passages and how God worked in the holy book! It was a mind-blowing session for her. 

 

On the other hand, Akira was more quiet than usual. Satan noticed this, and when Akira finally excused himself to go to the washroom, Satan got up and followed, feeling a little worried. 

 

“Akira, is everything okay?” Satan asked as his lover finished.

 

Akira’s eyes were dark. “Yes,” he replied, a little cold. His tone stung Satan’s heart, making the blonde nervous; it was quite clear to him that Akira wasn’t happy with something. 

 

“You’ve been really quiet tonight. I’m concerned,” Satan tried again, reaching out. He placed a hand on the taller male’s shoulder, managing a small smile. Akira looked into his blue eyes and sighed, loosening up. 

 

“Ryo,” he spoke. “Did something happen while I was in the stadium? You were gone for a long time, I had a feeling...”

 

Satan bit his lip. He thought about Jenny, and Michael. “There was...”

 

“Akira!” Miko appeared out of nowhere, waving her hands. She was smiling, her cheeks flushed as red as her hair. Probably a little drunk. “Whatcha doing? Can you bring us more beer, we’re out!” She did a little giggle and swooped into Akira’s arms, unintentionally pushing Satan out of the way. Then she dozed off on the spot, snoring a little, mumbling something about a ‘cocoon’ and ‘butterfly’. 

 

The angel frowned. He didn’t really want to ruin Akira’s night, it was supposed to be a fun celebration with the girls. He sighed. “Akira, it’s nothing. I told you some idiot spilled drinks over me. Nothing else. Stop worrying, go and enjoy the party with Miki and Miko! Oh but, please stop entertaining Michael, he’s so annoying.”

 

“Okay Ryo, if you say so,” Akira replied and carried Miko back to the living room.

 

———————————————————————

 

After calling a cab to send Miki and Miko home, Akira went and stood outside the balcony. The blue glow of the pool before him reflected on his eyes as he leaned against the glass rails, deep in thought. The wind blew strongly and the moon was covered by clouds; it was cold and dark.

 

At that moment, Satan was in the shower and Michael had gone for a walk. It was a good time for him to be alone. He inhaled deeply and reached into his pocket, taking a piece of crumpled paper with an email address on it - the information he needed to contact Zei.

 

Akira’s gaze wavered; he never wanted to resort to this! Yet the seed of doubt Zei planted inside him had begun to bloom, sending his mind into suspicion and disarray, tormenting him. It did not help with tonight’s events - Satan’s strange disappearance that led into Zei’s sudden message, Michael’s abrupt appearance and the conversation he overheard earlier. 

 

“ _You might... let slip something. The humans should not know about you.._.”

 

It was his suspicion that led him to get up with the excuse for drinks, trying to eavesdrop on the chat between his lover and the dubious ‘brother’ Michael. True enough, as he got there the first sentence he managed to hear had sent his heart pounding in a frenzy.

 

_What if... what if Zei was right?_

 

Akira’s chest hurt. Could it be that Ryo had been lying to him this whole time? Was their love not real? 

 

_No, he really loves me! I can feel it. I see it in his eyes,_ Akira shook his head and firmly convinced himself. And yet...

 

_I need answers_. His made his resolve. _The moment Ryo goes to bed, I’ll do it._

 

Sure enough, after a long cuddle with Satan in bed, Akira got up silently; he gave a long look at the peaceful smile on the blonde’s face before mustering the courage to go ahead with his plan. He tiptoed to the living room where Satan’s laptop was, typed in the user access password he often saw Satan punching in while together and voila! He got to the email page.

 

“Let’s see what you have for me, Zei,” Akira whispered to himself as he wrote to the email address Zei gave him. 

 

———————————————————————

 

The next day the girls came to visit, which was an unexpected surprise. It was a Sunday after all, so they had time to spare and summer break was starting on Monday. That meant having no school for the next few months.

 

As they settled down in the huge living room eating breakfast that Miki had brought over, Satan sat away at his laptop, busy skimming through some university notes. He had a few online lectures to do today. Jenny was well enough today to get up and do chores, but he insisted she rest a little more, so after the lectures he also had to do some accounting for one of the businesses she was running. 

 

“Ryo,” Miki was saying, “if you’re down for it I was thinking we should all spend more time together. Maybe we can go to the beach tomorrow, or the day after.”

 

“Hmm? Whatever, I’m not particularly interested,” Satan replied halfheartedly.

 

Miki puffed her cheeks at his disinterested manner, but she perked up as Michael shouted, “Beaches! Great idea! Let’s all go. We can swim and make campfires and barbecue, and I always wanted to try out burnt marshmallows!”

 

On the side, Miko wolfed down her fifth ham sandwich. Akira was munching away at his third, ostensibly still hungry but also looking rather distracted. Miko spoke, “Tomorrow’s a good day for us. What about you guys?”

 

Michael smiled, waving the egg toast in his hand. “I’m free tomorrow. What about you, Akira?”

 

Akira jerked a little on hearing his name. “Uhh- _what?_ Beach tomorrow? Sure. I’ve got nothing on.”

 

“Ryo, how about you?” Miko asked. 

 

The fallen angel sighed. He had actually planned some meetings and classes the next day, but since Akira had voiced out with a yes, Satan would just push away everything now. _Screw those boring chores anyway. Akira comes first!_

 

“I can drive us tomorrow. I’ll get a bigger vehicle so we can fit five of us nicely and bring a bunch of things for the barbecue.”

 

After that, they made some suggestions, joked about how Ryo seemed to be getting fatter, pointed out how Miki and Miko should swap names for a day and so on; they listed details for the beach outing. Then Miki had an idea and asked if she could invite some other friends to meet up with them at the beach. After that as they discussed further the outing turned into a two day and one night stay at a chalet by the seaside, complete with activities for both days. It was already late noon when they finally finished and agreed on everything. 

 

———————————————————————

 

When lunch was over, the girls left to do some shopping for the beach party. Satan had to conduct his online lessons, so Akira was left to his own devices; he didn’t want to hang out with Michael as the mysterious Ryo-lookalike creeped him out, so he said he wanted to go out alone for a walk and left hastily.

 

Once he was away from the building, he hailed a taxi and called out his destination - the conglomerate skyscraper that housed the demons’ main base and the location where Zei was waiting for him.

 

As he sat in the car, he took a deep breath and looked out the window, his reflection overlaying the bright sky, his face a look of worry. 

 

_Was he doing the right thing?_ Akira asked himself as the taxi drove away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments <3 love you!


	14. The Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey loves! Sorry this one took a long time. I’ve been preoccupied with Dota2 International 2019 (esports huge tournament) and also my friend lent me Legend of Zelda: BOTW to play! But don’t worry, I still haven’t forgotten this story and our poor Satan and Akira.

 

 

Zei was beaming, his eyes twinkling malevolently as he welcomed Akira into his office.

 

It was a huge room on the 25th storey. As Akira walked in, his shoes echoed on the dull obsidian floor tiles. The room was surrounded by huge glass panels overlooking the city and the late afternoon sunlight streamed through, momentarily blinding. Piles of documents and paperwork were stacked atop a large round desk, and as Akira looked he realised Non and Nuga seated around it, their expressions gleeful. He returned it with disdain; Zei had informed him of their presence before he arrived, even telling him about their identities as Zennon’s other selves. 

 

“Welcome, Devilman. You have been quite the talk among us,” Nuga was the first to speak as everyone settled down.

 

Akira gave a silent nod, and Non took her chance, speaking in her shrill voice, “We have been looking forward to your return. You told us over mail that you wanted more answers! This must mean you have acquired suspicions about something?”

 

Akira frowned, involuntarily clenching his fists. He didn’t feel good being in here. “There was a new person who appeared and introduced himself as Michael... but we can put that aside first! Zei, you told me we needed to talk face to face. What did you want to speak to me about?”

 

Zei cleared his throat and leaned against his chair,  his voice calm, “My demons have been attacked recently. It was devastating. But throughout the ordeal I also obtained quite some evidence to show you, Devilman.”

 

There was a _click_ sound and the glass panels suddenly turned opaque and dark, blocking away the outside view. Then a screen flashed before them on the widest glass panel, showing a video of demons being attacked by...

 

_Psycho Jenny_ , Akira recognised. He was suddenly confused. “Isn’t Jenny a demon? But she works for Ryo,” he voiced aloud, more to himself than the others.

 

“Psycho Jenny is one of the most powerful demons among our kind. A truly formidable enemy! Yet she gave up her people to follow a traitor,” Non screeched. “She saw how powerful Satan was and betrayed us, joining his side.”

 

“A shame,” Nuga hissed. “There is no one else quite like her in ability and power. In this video, as you can see, she killed countless demons living in the abandoned buildings in the area. It took quite a large force to wound her and stop her rampage! This was on the day of the human’s large event, the Koshien Track Event.”

 

Akira gasped. Jenny had not appeared much ever since that day. Ryo had told him that Jenny was sick.

 

“So now you’re claiming that Jenny is a traitor too, but this video isn’t proper evidence to convince me,” Akira said slowly. 

 

Zei smiled, snapping his fingers; there was a second _click_ sound and the video changed to another. “This is the biggest proof,” Zei stared at Akira as he spoke loudly. 

 

It was filming the crowd in the stadium. There were thousands of people seated and cheering on the benches. Suddenly the camera zoomed in onto two familiar people speaking to each other, and Akira instantly recognised Satan and Michael.

 

After showing the blonde pair bickering about something, the camera followed them running out of the stadium hastily. Then the scene switched to the dark alley where Jenny was seen killing demons earlier. It was dark and desolate, the streets covered in ichor and broken demon corpses. Suddenly there was a light source growing from the left and two brightly lit figures zoomed past the screen, each one soaring with twelve magnificent wings. Akira gasped. 

 

_Ryo!_ He cried out in his mind, recognising his lover instantly. But who was the other? The one in shining golden armour, holding a spear...

 

The screen flashed to another dark scene. Demons were shown cowering in fear when the two angels flew over to them, one beginning the kill with a wave of angelic powers. The other flexed his beautiful spear and slaughtered a few with one slash. The demons howled and cried in a frenzy, some trying to fight back while others ran as they begged for mercy; the demons were no match for their mighty adversaries. Soon every single one was slain, and the massacre was over in minutes.

 

Akira’s eyes had been fixated on the screen the entire time, his breath unsteady. It was so one-sided that he actually felt pity for the demons. He stared at the two angels standing in the now-empty street, both drenched in the blood of their victims, looking victorious.

 

“Was that Ryo?” Akira finally asked as the screen faded to black. His mind was in a whirl. 

 

“That was your beloved Satan and his twin brother, the one you humans know as Archangel Michael,” Non explained with a cackle. “This all happened on the day of the event!”

 

“We lost so many innocent demons, ones that swore never to harm human society. This attack was a big loss, but it doesn’t stop there - they won’t stop until every single one of us are wiped out!”

 

Akira fell silent, casting his eyes down to the floor. The revelation that Michael was no other than the famous archangel of God, Archangel Michael was a huge shock to him. Add on to this was the footage of the merciless slaughter and how it supported the story Zei told him. _So it had to be true, then?_ Akira swallowed with difficulty.

 

“So,” the Devilman finally spoke after a long moment. “What’s your plan?”

 

Zei broke into a smile. “With Archangel Michael already in the scene, our demise is near. We can’t possibly hope to defeat Satan ourselves, let alone Michael. Akira Fudo, this is where you come in.

 

“After many weeks of observing you and Satan, the three of us have come to a great realisation. It was unbelievable for us, but we can deny it no longer! It seems that Satan has truly fallen in love with you! Thus he merged you with Amon for the purpose of taking us down, giving you endurance and abilities weak humans do not have, making sure you will be able to survive the apocalypse when the angels arrive to harvest!”

 

Akira’s eyes widened in surprise. “ _What_?” He couldn’t control himself from blurting that out - it was quite an unexpected answer, not to mention bizarre for the supposed enemy to confirm Ryo’s love for him. “Wait,” Akira interrupted suddenly. “How can you tell for sure? Don’t tell me...”

 

“We were monitoring _very_ closely _,_ ” Nuga cackled, crossing his hands. “We spent a lot of resources on gathering footage and intel about the two of you! We also had some demons blend into the surroundings to watch without being noticed.

 

“Satan’s body language, way of acting with and without you around, even when there was no way he could sense anyone’s presence. Whether we watched from near or afar, evidence points to his desires. Not to mention his vast arrogance being lowered around you, whenever he willingly let you mate with him.”

 

“What! You even saw that?” Akira got on his feet, hysterically clenching his fists. “That’s private! Illegal!! You evil d-“

 

“In any case, it’s important to note this one weakness,” Zei quickly interrupted. “With it we can find a way to turn the tables. Akira, we need you to save the Earth! With Michael’s arrival, the rest will soon follow. We must stop the apocalypse at all costs and protect demons and humans! In the last Earth, Satan was the cause of the world’s doom. This time, we won’t sit back idly waiting to die.”

 

“And what am I supposed to do? Convince Ryo to stop whatever he’s doing?” Akira folded his arms and sat back down. “I’m not supposed to know any of this.”

 

“We have prepared a plan, Akira Fudo,” Nuga hissed. “You join us, and _we_ willdo the convincing.”

 

Akira swallowed and thought about it. His mind was rather convinced by the trio by now, but a small part of him still wanted it to be with Ryo. He burrowed his brows and decided, “I need more time to think about it.”

 

Non and Nuga pulled looks of frustration, but Zei had a calm expression. “That’s alright. We can give you a little more time, but there isn’t much left. Don’t take too long to think about this matter.”

 

Then he took a small glass vial out of his pocket. It was half-filled with transparent liquid inside. “This is something we’ve been working on, Akira. If you ever find yourself cornered by Michael or Satan, drink this. It could protect you.”

 

He handed it to the young dark haired boy, who took it hesitantly. The vial was cold on his skin. He eyed the mysterious liquid inside before tucking it away under his belt, hoping never to use it.

 

“Thank you, Zei. I’ll get back to you soon.”

 

———————————————————————

 

That evening, Akira phoned Ryo after the secret meeting and said he was going to spend the night with the Makimuras, much to the angel’s displeasure. But nevertheless Satan relented, sensing something amiss from Akira’s voice. He hoped it was just Akira missing his mother, but he knew better. 

 

“Jenny, how are you feeling?”

 

Satan sat beside the woman with a perpetual smile on her face. She was sitting upright in bed, slurping at the soup that Michael had brewed for her.

 

“I feel much better now, my lord. Thank you very much for your concern. I should be able to resume my daily duties tomorrow.”

 

“That’s great to hear. I’m tired of eating Michael’s cooking, you know. Besides, I’ll be gone for the next three days, so you’ll have to manage all the finances and businesses.”

 

Jenny’s eyelids flickered. “Michael cooked this? He’s pretty good.”

 

Satan gave a loud cough. “Yes, yes he is, but _yours_ is much better...”

 

“My lord, is he still in the kitchen?”

“No, he went out to go shopping for tomorrow’s groceries. Why?”

 

The red-haired lady clasped her hands together. “That’s good. I was worried for you, my lord. I couldn’t tell you with him around,” she dropped her voice low and muttered, her eyes narrowing.

 

“What do you mean?” Satan cocked an eyebrow. 

 

Jenny whispered, “While he was healing me, I tried to peer into his mind. It was closed off from me. Perhaps it was also because of my severely weakened state, so I couldn’t push in, but one thing I knew for sure was the emotions and feelings he had. They were full of jealousy and spite towards you.”

 

This was somewhat news to Satan. “Goody-two-shoes Michael, full of envy? Well I guess there were lots of moments when I was the better one,” Satan remembered proudly of his days in Heaven when he was constantly compared to his twin brother.

 

Jenny shook her head. “I don’t trust him at all, my lord! He could be up to something dangerous.”

 

“Oh, he’s always up to something, I’m sure,” the blonde haired gritted his teeth. “Always popping up randomly these days. Definitely up to something again.”

 

Then he glanced at Jenny and smiled. “Whatever it is, don’t you worry. I’ll be fine. I won’t let Michael get his way.”

 

Jenny nodded, looking relieved. “I trust you, but be careful anyway. You’re my lord Satan after all. I’d be concerned if you got hurt.”

 

“Concerned, huh?” Satan thought about something. “I guess demons can feel love as well. You’re not as simple as I made demons out to be in the first place.”

 

He had once said to Jenny that he thought demons as a nasty, impulsive and ruthless race. But ever since this loop happened with his newfound understanding of what love was, he was able to see a different picture just from his interactions with Jenny alone. 

 

“We choose not to,” Jenny said simply. “It is weakness to us, but we are still capable. As for you, didn’t you learn of love from meeting Akira in your last life?”

 

“Yes,” Satan agreed, a consigned look displayed on his face. He could still feel the stinging pain of heartbreak in his chest. The fear, despair and sadness of knowing the only person he ever loved had died and left him forever. Or so it was to be, until God took pity.

 

Now with his new life, he would give his all to love and cherish his Akira, and perhaps also love and care about others. The chance to redeem himself in God’s eyes would only come once, and he was determined not to waste it. 

 

“Talking about demons, that reminds me - we must concentrate our efforts on finding the demon’s main hive. We have to weed out Zennon!” Satan suddenly remembered and looked at Jenny with fury in his blue eyes. “They hurt you so badly. The nerve! When we find them, I’ll personally tear each of his parts into pieces.”

 

After Satan’s betrayal, Zennon was the current main leader for the demons. As long as he could find and kill Zennon, the problem of the demon race would be easily solved. Without Zennon’s intelligence, the demons would never figure out the true weakness of humanity - fear - and as long as they never revealed themselves, Satan could pick them off one by one. It was the easiest way to divert the apocalypse. 

 

“Rest assured, I will start an extensive search once I have fully recovered, my lord. I just hope Zennon doesn’t start anything before we get to him.” 

 

———————————————————————

 

Akira sat on the couch looking absent-mindedly at the television. It was playing a show he had no interest in. 

 

Taro chose that moment to walk in with Tako the cat. The mischievous little boy caught sight of Akira and ran over to pull at his face. “Big brother Akira!” Taro snickered. 

 

Before the little hands even reached its target, Akira blinked and reacted at an inhuman speed, grabbing Taro by the arm. “You little brat. What’re you up to?”

 

Taro was stunned and yelped, “W-whoa! I was just gonna pat you on the back! Totally not up to anything silly.”

 

His response ignited a glare from Akira, who let go. “I’m not in a good mood, Taro. Go away.”

 

Taro frowned. “Why?” Then he lit up suddenly. “Did you... fight with your _boyfriend_?” he asked in a mocking tone.

 

“Leave me alone!” snapped Akira, his scowl deepening. This was enough to make Taro scared. He’d never seen big brother Akira this upset before.

 

“Fine,” Taro replied sheepishly, picking up Tako to play with the cat in his room instead.

 

As soon as Taro left, Mrs. Fudo walked into the living room.

 

“Akira, what’s wrong?” She had heard her son and Taro from the dining room, and she felt concerned. It was not common for Akira to be this snappy. 

 

Akira gave his mother a look of defeat and sighed. “I’m sorry, mum... I just don’t feel good lately. I feel like Ryo isn’t the guy I thought he would be. Some things happened, and I feel that I can’t trust him as much as I should.”

 

“ _Ah_.” Mrs. Fudo sat beside her son, smiling. “Well, sometimes that happens to a couple. Misunderstandings, lies, lack of trust. But it’s not always a bad thing, and I can tell that you both love each other very much. Perhaps you should talk about it with him, open up your heart and tell him your feelings! Work it out together.”

 

Akira knitted his brows in deep thought. He fumbled with his thumbs and inhaled deeply. “Mum,” he spoke after a while, “I don’t know if I can do that... he lied to me about a lot of things. I found out from others about the things he used to do, a ton of bad stuff, and he’s still doing it and hiding it from me. I feel hurt and scared.”

 

Mrs. Fudo stared at her son, watching him look so fragile and sad. She felt his pain crawling into her chest, the kind of feeling a mother would have when seeing her own child suffering. She reached out to stroke his hair. “Oh, Akira. I know how you feel, and it won’t be easy. But that’s how love is. You must stay strong! Confront him and ask him, Akira. Maybe he has a good reason for doing it.”

 

“I don’t know... but I’ll try. Thanks, mum.”

 

“You can do it,” Mrs. Fudo said, giving her son a tight hug. “Whatever happens, I’ll always be there for you.”


	15. Beach Episode I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beach time! Finally, Ryo feels that something is off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys, sorry it took me so long! I had a massive writer's block after the last chapter, but I always think about this story. Don't worry, I won't abandon it, I promise. I will end it, because I know the pain of a story being dropped without an ending!  
> I just don't know how to end it in the best way, to be honest -- hence I have been stuck for so long haha. Sorry!

 

 

 

On the day itself, Akira and Miki headed out together to Satan’s apartment early in the morning. They had to help out with loading the food and some necessities into the new six-seater car that Satan bought on a whim last night. After meeting Miko along the way, the girls chatted happily about what they wanted to do at the beach. 

 

Apparently Miki had invited Wamu’s group, her new friends that she made after saving them from a major misunderstanding at a store not too long ago. When she mentioned that a member of the group known as ‘Kukun’ had gone missing, Miko got a bit quiet.

 

“Akira?” Sensing the restlessness in Miko, Miki felt like she had stepped on a landmine without knowing why, and decided to focus on her other best friend instead. He had been silent throughout the day, and she was getting concerned.

 

“Yes?” The dark haired youth was quick to respond, much to her surprise.

 

“Are you alright? You haven’t been looking good today. In fact, I’ll say you’ve been acting off lately! What’s going on in your head?”

 

“Nothing,” Akira lied casually. He kept his eyes on the road, knowing Miki could easily tell if he looked at her in the eyes. 

 

“It’s true you’ve been really weird these days,” Miko pointed out darkly. “Are you having some kind of relationship problem? I can’t think of anything else to trouble someone like you! Tell us, Akira.”

 

“No, really...” sighed the boy. “I don’t, well... I’ll figure it out with Ryo during this trip.”

 

“So it _is_ a relationship problem!” Miki exclaimed, surprised. Beside her, Miko giggled and gave the green-eyed girl a nudge. 

 

“See, I told you. _My hunch was right!_ ”

 

“What did Ryo do?” Miki continued, too curious to spare Miko the attention. She gave Akira a hard stare, her green eyes wide in wonder. 

 

Akira made a face and glanced at her. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

 

He then started walking at a faster pace, prompting the girls to follow after him in a jog. Behind him, the girls were whispering amongst themselves; Akira could hardly care. It was something that they couldn’t possibly help him with, he was sure of it. A matter that concerned the whole world and its life and death. How could he tell anyone about it?

 

———————————————————————

 

When the trio got to Satan’s penthouse, Michael was waiting for them by the door. “Hello!” The blonde twin chirped, looking awfully cheerful.

 

Akira did a casual wave and strolled into the house, while the girls greeted Michael and started chatting happily about their plans for the day. To Akira, after knowing the identity of this person, he was better off avoiding Michael as much as possible. Instead he sauntered to the kitchen, finding his lover and Jenny preparing some dishes. 

 

“Good morning,” Jenny was quick to say as Akira appeared. 

 

“Good morning,” Akira nodded back to her before giving Satan a good look. The fallen angel’s face had lit up at the sight of Akira, brimming with joy as he skipped forward to hug the dark haired youth with excitement.

 

“Akira! I missed you,” Satan purred into Akira’s ear as he wrapped his arms around his beloved.

 

“Geez, Ryo, I was only gone for a night!” Akira said, hugging back, grinning his best for Satan. He noticed the blonde dressed in a light pink apron, which was a contrast towards the usual white garments Satan usually wore. He thought it looked cute on him. 

 

“I know, but I... just missed you a lot,” Satan stammered, blushing as he played with the hem of his apron.

 

“Okay,” Akira smiled and continued, “so what are you up to with Jenny? Should I help out with packing the frozen food for the party?”

 

“Yeah... you can go and ask Michael. He’s in charge of that. I’m making some food for us so we can eat something before we leave. It’s going to be an hour’s ride, after all.”

 

“Alright.”

 

———————————————————————

 

The day went on smoothly. After having some delicious good food, the group packed everything properly into the car and set off. While Satan drove, Akira sat beside him and Miki and Miko sat in the middle row. Michael was at the last row, squeezing with containers of ice and frozen food. 

 

Jenny had opted out, saying she had matters to deal with and that she would join them later in the evening. So the five set out, chatting and laughing throughout the trip. Even Akira joined in sometimes, but it was quite obvious that something was on his mind. Unbeknownst to Akira, his blonde lover had been watching him for a while now. 

 

It was hard to admit, but Satan could no longer pretend everything was fine. 

 

He had a hunch lately, a feeling of dread swimming in his stomach. Akira was not acting like he usually did, and had not been as sweet and lovable towards him as always. Though Satan tried to brush it off, he was eventually forced to confront his denials. Many thoughts flashed through his head; Satan feared that his lover was hiding a big secret from him. 

 

_Is he having second thoughts over our relationship? Does he not love me anymore? Did he find out something about me?_

 

The fallen angel couldn’t sleep last night. These thoughts and worries had plagued him, taunting his happiness with visions of heartbreak and suffering. Satan was afraid, so afraid. He had never felt like this before!

 

The fear of not knowing, the terror of Akira no longer in love with him, leaving him. 

 

_Is this part of love? The trials and pain that seep from this suffocating emotion?_

 

He had no one else to turn to but his faithful guardian, so Satan had asked Jenny about it before Akira arrived in the morning. He asked her if love was supposed to be this horrid and difficult, and asked if he had done anything wrong. 

 

Jenny had laughed at him. “ _You think too much, my lord. These are all a part of love, and when you care very much about a person, you cannot stop thinking or fearing for them. It’s normal,_ ” she said. 

 

It put a halt to the turmoil in his mind, yet when Satan watched Akira again in the car, the indescribable fear eating away at his mind came back to life. 

 

_Something’s definitely wrong,_ Satan decided. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for all the kudos and comments. While I was trapped in my state of not knowing what or how to continue the story, I watched every kudos notification and read every comment, and it made me really happy and motivated to keep on going. I only hope I can deliver the very best, as much as possible to you all.


	16. Beach Episode II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryo and Akira talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter! Please enjoy!

 

 

 

It was a busy day bristling with activity, with Akira, Satan, Miko, Miki and Michael checking into a nice wooden lodge by the beach. As Satan parked the car beside the dwelling he had rented for the party, Miki spotted her friends. 

 

“Oh, they’re here!”

 

She got out of the car and waved them over. It was her friends she had spoken of, and she introduced the gang to them - Wamu, Hie, Gabi and Babo. 

 

The street delinquents recognised Miki’s side of companions aside from Michael. However, there were no hard feelings and the rappers greeted them politely and got along well. 

 

Wamu was the most amicable, and soon he was cracking jokes with Miko and Michael in tow. As the gang helped to unload the food and luggage, Satan chose to pull Akira to the side, his gaze firm. 

 

“Akira, will you come with me to the beach?”

 

Akira raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Sure, after I help out with the-“

 

“They can deal with it themselves,” Satan cut in quickly. He took Akira by the hand and started to lead Akira away, walking from the road and towards the sandy beach. 

 

The sun was blazing hot and the skies were azure blue; it was a fine, sunny afternoon today. The clouds were like white cotton candy, drifting over the blue dome while the ocean sparkled with a deep blue, and large seagulls soared over their heads as Satan brought Akira over, trudging on white soft sand. 

 

“Ryo, what’s the matter?” Akira asked once they stopped under the shade of a large tree. 

 

Satan wasn’t sure how to start. How was he supposed to get the words out? The fallen angel began mumbling and caressing his abdomen subconsciously, his eyes darting nervously. 

 

Akira waited impatiently, not knowing why his lover was acting a little weird, but also finding his Ryo looking rather adorable like this. 

 

Finally Satan opened his mouth, took a deep breath and said, “Akira, do you love me?”

 

His blue orbs were shining with pleading hope as he looked up and into Akira’s brown ones. He saw Akira’s confused expression. 

 

“Yes, of course,” Akira replied. “Why the sudden question?”

 

“You know,” said the blonde, “you’ve been acting really weird these days. Everyone can tell, and I too... there’s something on your mind, and I would like it if you told me...”

 

Akira narrowed his gaze. “Nothing is wrong,” Akira dismissed casually. He looked away, refusing to meet those beautiful blue orbs. 

 

“You’re lying,” Satan whispered. “I know a lie when I choose to see it!”

 

“No, I’m not lying. Nothing is wrong,” Akira denied immediately, yet his face betrayed the stubborn tone. It was getting far too obvious to the angel that his love was hiding something. 

 

“Please,” Satan tried again, taking Akira’s hand and squeezing it, giving the dark haired young man a look that could melt anyone’s heart, “don’t keep this to yourself, Akira! Am I not your partner?”

 

A light breeze blew inland, rustling the leaves and blowing their hair gently. Akira finally met Satan’s eyes, and the latter could see the conflict inside. 

 

“Ryo,” Akira’s voice sounded weak, “do you think we have a future?”

 

_What_?

 

“Of course we do!” Satan replied firmly, his heart skipping a beat. “My love for you transcends all bounds, Akira! We definitely _will_ have a future!”

 

Akira looked a little stunned. “You will ensure that we have a future, then?"

 

“Of course. I will make sure of that! Geez… Is that what you’ve been worried about all this time?” 

 

“Yes,” answered the other, still looking unsure, “I had been thinking about us this whole time.”

 

Satan laughed. So it was just like that? Akira was being rather insecure all along! _Ah, there was nothing to fear after all._

 

“You dummy. I can’t believe how fragile you look right now,” Satan gave a light chuckle and leaned forward, pecking Akira on the cheek. “I’m the great Satan. If there’s no future for us, then I’ll make one! You have nothing to fear.”

 

Then he took his lover by the arm, egging him to follow. “Akira, you don’t have to worry, okay? Let’s go enjoy the day, the others are surely waiting for us.”

 

“Yes,” Akira muttered, his heart still hurting strangely. 

 

———————————————————————

 

The day was bursting with activities, from unpacking, playing cards and walking by the beach, to preparing the barbecue stand and cooking food for the night. 

 

Wamu and his gang were a great help to the chores around the chalet, and they brought a lively atmosphere. The singing group would break into a rap over almost anything, and when Michael said he liked it very much, the boys were overjoyed. Then they brought Michael for a walk along the beach, wanting to show him the nearby petting zoo. 

 

Miki and Miko had planned the schedule for the next few days, so they would order people around to do anything that needed to be done. They also had the task of keeping track of the food and supplies for the outing. The two girls liked to set Akira and Satan on doing chores together, spying on them whenever they could, much to the couple’s annoyance. 

 

Things went on smoothly and when it was almost time for dinner, Miki had Akira call Wamu and the others to come back to the chalet, while Miko started preparing a table outside with Satan. 

 

“Are you enjoying yourself, Ryo?” Miko asked as she set the paper plates. 

 

The angel was smiling when she shot her question, and he hummed in agreement. 

 

The sun was already setting over the horizon, and the sea was bathed in an orange glow. 

 

Soon the whole party of friends were seated around the table, causing a racket with all the noisy chatter and laughter. Everyone seemed like they were having a good time, with the exception of Akira, who was often caught daydreaming. Once he had finished eating, he excused himself from the group.

 

The girls shot Satan a few glances and the blonde sighed, excusing himself as well.

 

It didn’t take long for him to catch up to his lover, who was standing on the beach, staring at the sea. A slight orange glow was quickly disappearing over the horizon, washing away the evidence of the sun. Countless stars started dotting the dark sky, and the wind was blowing gently. A small empty vial was shining on the sand beside Akira’s feet, reflecting light from the moon that had appeared.

 

Satan smiled as he strolled towards Akira’s side, taking his hand.

 

“Akira,” Satan cooed, “are you still thinking about us? My silly Akira.”

 

Akira said nothing, but his gaze was distant. Satan gave a sigh and moved in front of the dark haired man, trying to get his lover to look at him. 

 

_Now’s your chance_ , Satan thought. He subconsciously caressed his abdomen, thinking about the child he was carrying. _Our child,_ Satan mused. If anything, this would ease Akira’s worry. This would be the proof that their future was absolute-

 

“I didn’t want to face the truth at first,” Akira suddenly spoke, and he stared into Satan’s blue crystal eyes as he did. “But I can’t run from this forever.”

 

There was a slight pause.

 

“...What are you saying?” Satan asked, confused. The sudden change in his lover’s tone and expression was making him uncomfortable. He didn’t like it. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, even though he was unsure why.

 

“Ryo,” Akira shook away Satan’s hand and said, “how long are you going to keep things away from me?"

 

“Akira, I don’t understand what you mean.”

 

“I know about it,” the Devilman’s voice was shaking, “I know what happened on the night of the Koshien track event. You told me that you had left to get a new change of clothing, but in truth, you were out killing demons with that ‘brother’ of yours, Michael.”

 

Satan stared at Akira blankly. “You, _you_ _knew?_ ”

 

“Yes.” The moment Satan was willing to admit his cover-up, Akira knew there was no going back now. His chest stung and he could feel anger boiling from beneath, ready to erupt from all the times he had suppressed his feelings. “In fact, Ryo, I know a lot of things!”

 

Satan’s heart was beating fast; he was afraid, scared of how things had turned out like this. _How did Akira find out? What exactly did he know?_ The bells were deafening in his head, but he knew it wasn't over.

 

“I knew everything, but I wanted to hear the truth from you,” Akira cried angrily, clenching his fists. “Yet you kept lying to me, keeping secrets from me. It made me so upset, and I wondered if you really loved me.”

 

“I do!” Satan quickly replied, horrified. “I love you, Akira- I, _I just wanted to protect you!_ ”

 

“Protect me?” Akira gave a hiss, grabbing Satan by the collar. “Are you lying to me again?”

 

Satan felt his eyes welling with tears. “No, no…”

 

The angel’s mind was in complete disarray, unable to comprehend how this all came to be. The world was spinning around him. He was frightened, not for himself but his relationship with Akira. He felt the familiar fear of losing his love, the fear that threatened to swallow him into a black, endless abyss of despair. It was his fault… If only he had told Akira the truth, instead of keeping Akira in the dark...

 

Tears started flowing from his beautiful blue eyes, and his breath grew erratic. He felt like a child, but he couldn’t help it. Only Akira could make him, an ancient being, cry like a pathetic mess. Akira was his world.

 

On seeing this, Akira’s anger dissipated, and he seemed to regret his outburst. He let Satan go, turning his face away in shame. 

 

For a minute, nothing else was said. Akira’s lips trembled, and he tried to focus looking at the sea, but he could not appreciate its beauty; there was a mix of regret and sadness washing over his fury. He knew what he saw in his partner’s eyes earlier, after all - it was pure love and sadness. Ryo definitely loved him.

 

Yet, some things still had to be done.

 

“I didn’t mean to keep things from you,” Satan finally mumbled, his voice shaky. “I wanted to keep you away from harm... How did you find out?”

 

Akira replied slowly, “Ryo, I found out about a lot of other things you’ve been hiding from me, and it wasn’t just what happened on the night of the track event. The things about the angels, the apocalypse, Michael himself. The story you told me wasn’t completely true, was it?”

 

Satan looked at Akira, who was watching him with an empty expression. There was no kindness in those eyes, once brilliant and full of compassion and love. Time seemed to have frozen right at that moment. Akira spoke again.

 

 

"In the last Earth, you were the one who started the apocalypse, no?"

 

Reality crashed down onto the angel as the blood in his veins froze. Satan looked truly shocked. “You... _you remember?”_

 

If Akira somehow gained the memory of what happened before, then everything would be over for him! There was no way Akira could love him back after knowing about all the things he did - _it was over!_

 

The fallen angel’s reply reignited emotions deep inside the Devilman, who broke into a solemn laugh, tears streaming down his face, his features growing dark and grotesque. “ _Ahh_ , so you finally admitted it,” Akira growled, his voice raspy. He was overwhelmed to the point that his body was shifting into his demonic form.

 

_The drink that Zennon gave me is making me hazy,_ Akira noted as he found himself changing beyond his control. Earlier, he had unwillingly taken the unknown potion that Zennon gave him for protection; he was afraid that Ryo would do something unexpected, and Zennon’s drink was a fail-safe.

 

Right now, Akira was unable to control or stop his transformation, but it didn’t matter anyway. He had to continue what was already set in motion. In the back of his mind, he could feel a boiling rage struggling to erupt; a madness that wasn't his own. But it was intoxicating, and he wanted to give in. To show Ryo how angry and betrayed he was, to let him know what the emotions coursing through his mind felt like.

_Give in, Akira,_  the madness whispered.

 

Akira inhaled deeply, steadying himself for a moment. He chuckled softly and said, “I didn’t remember anything.” Then he laughed again. Though he was beginning to feel light-headed and weak, he continued, “but Zennon told me what you did. How you just wanted to use the humans as food, how you betrayed the demons, how you, you—gahh!"

 

Akira could hardly see properly through all the red in his vision. The unseen anger that was not his own was seeping quickly through his mind, and he gave a feral grow. 

 

“W-wait, Zennon?!” Satan blinked as he heard that name, then it clicked. Somehow Zennon had gotten ahold of Akira and fed him lies!

 

_That bastard! I’m going to kill him! How dare he do this to my Akira!_

 

The fallen angel began radiating light from his human body. “Unforgivable,” Satan hissed under his breath, his face contorted in anger. “Akira, you must forget everything Zennon said. He has been lying to _you_!”

 

Before him, Akira had fully transformed into the form of Devilman, but there was a different aura surrounding the demon.

 

“Akira?!” Satan called out hysterically, sensing something amiss.

 

The demon growled again, but when his eyes lifted to meet Satan’s, the angel gasped and unfurled his beautiful wings before a fist came knocking towards his face. “Satan!” The demon snarled, voice dripped with venom.

 

Satan intercepted the fist in time, looking magnificent and bright as he transformed into his full angelic form. His long golden hair waved in the wind, and his blue eyes shone under the moonlight. “Amon,” Satan muttered hesitantly in recognition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do leave comments if you liked it!  
> It's been so long since I last wrote, I hope I didn't forget any plot points lol.
> 
> Also cliffhangers nyeheheh, but I've already started writing the next chapter!  
> So do wait for it :D


	17. Amon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amon is really angry. Lots of fighting in this chapter?

 

 

Amon, the champion of the demon race. He was unmatched in power, and his appetite for battles never ceased. Feared amongst his own kind, Amon would never answer to anyone he deemed below him; while he was not inherently evil, he was still ruthless and merciless in battle.

 

However, when Amon first met Satan, he knew the brilliant angel was leagues above his own power, and he eventually swore fealty to the angel who promised to lead the demons to victory against the war against Heaven. He respected Satan for his intelligence and strength, and he believed in Satan. 

 

That was until Satan betrayed Amon millions of years later, choosing to sacrifice the demon champion's life for the insignificant human, Akira Fudo.

 

 

“SATAN!”

 

Amon threw his head backwards and howled into the night, sounding like an enraged lion roaring before a kill. There was so much anger flowing from his gaze, and Satan could feel it radiating from the demon. Though bearing roughly the same appearance as Akira’s own Devilman look, Amon’s form had a crimson hue and an inhuman red glint in his eyes, separating the current beast from the lover in Satan’s eyes.

 

Cursing inward at the bleakness of the situation, the fallen angel felt his body tense as he watched on, knowing that he was in trouble. Zennon’s schemes aside, Satan was in no condition to fight in his fullest; he was with child. If the fight went overboard, he might injure the little one breathing inside him, and he was not willing to let that happen.

 

But how could he subdue Amon easily, the ferocious and powerful demon?

 

_I need Jenny and Michael to back me up here_ , Satan thought quickly. He lifted his hand and shot a white spark into the sky, which erupted into a giant blaze for a few seconds. As the signal faded into the night air, Satan hoped it was enough to let his powerful companions know his location and situation.

 

“Amon,” Satan spoke hastily, his eyes never leaving the dark figure before him, “we can talk about this.”

 

Amon was breathing heavily, hardly giving a damn about the signal that had just been sent. He was grinning ear to ear, his fangs glinting in the moonlight.

 

“Talk, _talk_?! Don’t fool around with me, you _traitor_. I acted the fool for you until the end; you pushed me to inhabit this weak scum, then killed my consciousness so the human could inherit my powers. You play dirty,” Amon hissed.

 

Satan narrowed his eyes and replied carefully, “I wouldn’t expect you to understand, but it was necessary.”

 

“Oh?” Amon stretched his huge bat-like wings and flexed his sharp claws. “Then there’s not much to say anymore, is there. I’ll kill you, and then I’ll go and destroy the rest of your precious humans. Maybe this will make me feel better about your betrayal!”

 

With that, Amon lunged forward and swiped a claw at the brilliant angel, roaring with a ferocity that sent chills down Satan’s spine. The fallen angel deflected with one of his massive white wings, feeling the claw rip through his feathers. Without a moment of hesitation, Satan spun around and gave Amon a good kick, but the demon was fast enough to gave ahold of the blonde’s leg, twisting it in the air.

 

Satan gave a yelp and flicked a few blades of light, cutting through Amon’s arm, spilling blood; Amon hissed and returned the attack by slamming the angel down onto the sandy beach with a massive force that sent an aftershock around for meters.

 

The sand was whipped into the air like a tornado as the angel and demon fought, one on the offence and one on defence. Feeling the air knocked out of his lungs, Satan reached forward and gripped Amon’s horns, his hands pulsing with energy to blow Amon away. Sensing what the angel wanted to do, Amon quickly kicked Satan away, sending the angel ten meters into the distance, colliding into a few trees.

 

The pain rippled through his body, drips of golden ichor falling from the cuts and scratches as Satan struggled to get up. Before he could catch his breath, however, Amon had already swooped up to his face, giving little warning before another hard punch hit him squarely in the chest. “ _Guhhh_!”

 

It hurt tremendously, but Amon was not done — he pummelled Satan’s face another few more times, then kicked the angel towards the sky. The demon then launched himself into the air and grinned over his helpless victim before kicking with all his might down, launching the fallen angel down back to the earth, a torrent of sand and wind blasting away from the huge crater that formed as Satan landed.

 

“What’s wrong, Satan? You’re not as strong as before! Has playing lover with a human made you weak?” Amon taunted, floating down. Satan was gasping for breath, his hair and wings in a mess, ichor running down from his head; the impact had given him a concussion. 

 

He was unable to reply coherently, sputtering garbled syllables and groans of pain as he watched Amon approaching him through his tired blue eyes. _At least, he hasn’t hurt my abdomen area too much,_ Satan thought silently. It was true that he had grown weaker, what with the offspring he carried draining some of his powers; if he were not with child, he could surely take any damage Amon dished out at him without a sweat. The helplessness no doubt frustrated him — he had never been in such a pathetic state before.

 

Amon’s cold red glare loomed over him, an evil smirk that reminded Satan of a beast having fun with its prey. The angel was still sprawled over the ground, and as Amon kneeled down beside his defeated opponent, he grabbed an arm and began racking his claws across the shining white angelic skin, delighting in the way ichor burst from the contact of his razor sharp nails. Satan winced, but his eyes were wide with anger and fear, his glare never leaving Amon’s face.

 

“It’s over,” Amon whispered maniacally, ready to go for the kill. He moved his hand over to Satan’s chest, right over his heart. “Any last words?”

 

Satan held his breath, keeping his gaze on Amon. He felt the murderous intent burning through Amon’s soul, knowing that the demon fully wished to kill him right at this moment, and Satan knew his injuries would not heal quickly enough. He could still see Akira’s features in them, and he felt grief cutting across him like a knife. If this was the end, then…

 

“A-Akira,” the angel croaked, voice wracked with hurt. “I love you, it’s not… your fault,” he finished.

 

If Akira ever regained consciousness and remembered this moment, then Satan had to make sure… that Akira would not feel guilty over it. It wasn’t his fault…

 

Before Amon could do anything, however, a wave of bright yellow arrows sailed over the air, burying deep into Amon’s hunched back. The demon gave a scream of fury and pain, turning around.  

 

“ _You_!” Amon hissed, getting up.

 

There was another barrage of arrows, but Amon was ready this time. He deflected some and avoided the rest. Then he sprang forward to meet the new attacker, roaring.

 

Satan heaved a sigh of relief, willing himself to get up onto his arms. If the holy arrows were any indication, it meant Michael was here.

 

_Michael… to think he would come to my rescue one day._

 

His blue orbs roamed the surroundings, instantly spotting a small crowd among the mess of havoc and destruction of the place that the fighting had created.

 

Amon and Michael were clashing in the air, two powerful foes of opposing elements and sides. The archangel was bright as the sun with his golden spear and armour, while Amon was the black whirlwind of the night. Each punch sent a huge gust of wind, every collision of claw and metal drawing a loud shockwave throughout their surroundings.

 

Not far in the distance, Satan could see Jenny in her demon form, watching the fight. To his surprise, behind her stood the humans Miko and Miki, as well as the others — he could not remember their names in his haze.

 

“Jenny,” Satan called out with all the strength he could muster, but it was barely more than a groan. Yet Jenny was able to hear and sense it; she quickly found him lying in the sand. She floated over, the humans following after her. Shock, fear, awe and disbelief were clearly etched on their faces.

 

“My lord, you’re badly hurt. We must get you patched up immediately,” Jenny was steadfast in her decision.

 

Satan shook his head, looking at Amon with a pained expression. Jenny knew what he wanted to say, but she countered, “Michael is handling him. You need to stay away for now, please don’t worry about it!”

 

Behind her, Miki couldn’t help but cry out, “Ryo, is that _you_? Are you an angel? _What’s going on here?!_ ”

 

“Yeah, what’s happening, this is madness-“ Miko sputtered while the boys — Wamu and gang were firing off their own questions in a panic.

 

Satan frowned. This was total chaos! Not only had he lost Akira to Amon, he also had to deal with a bunch of humans finding out the existence of angels and demons. This was a dangerous situation. Not to mention, other humans in the vicinity could have seen—

 

“My lord!" Jenny cut across his thoughts sharply. Satan blinked in surprise and gazed at her. "Do not fret over those things. I will deal with it swiftly once you are safe.”

 

Ah, Jenny had read his mind. Satan's lips curled upwards, revealing a small and satisfied smile.

 

Knowing he could trust her, the fallen angel sighed and nodded, letting himself flop back down onto the soft sand. He needed to rest to recover quickly, and he was confident in Michael’s skills. Michael was the strongest archangel of Heaven, and he knew how important Akira was to him, he wouldn’t kill Amon…

 

Shutting out the noise in the background, Satan let Jenny carry him away, his own mind fading to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not very good at fighting scenes, so I apologise...
> 
> I've also admittedly lost some of the plot stuff I planned along the way, but I'm going to tie as much loose ends as possible.
> 
> I have a draft about how I want the story to go, but I haven't figured out the ending yet! However, I do want to have a good story that pleases as many readers as possible, because I know a lot of you guys did enjoy the things I wrote in the past chapters, and I'm very touched. Although I started out telling myself this story was written for me, I'm still happy that there are people who liked it. Thank you for enjoying!


	18. Michael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael's point of view over the whole mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little different... from the rest, I guess. It's also a bit long in my opinion, but I didn't really want to break it. Hopefully you will enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

Michael always had things to do. He was a very busy person, being the Right Hand of God after all—there was just so much to handle, from the responsibility of guarding God, training angels, keeping Heaven safe and happy…

 

Nonetheless, any time he had, he would spend it mostly with his favourite angelic brother, Lucifer.

 

His mirror image, body double, _twin_ , the one that was all of him in flesh and mind but yet not. Lucifer was the Left Hand of God, the angel equal to Michael in power, appearance, respect—every way but _one_.

 

It was a _small_ difference, but it mattered.

 

...Michael loved Lucifer very much. He would cherish his precious time with his brother, adoring in all the ways Lucifer laughed, chiming about the things that went on in Heaven, musing about how life could go on and on without ever getting bored. They loved each other—at least Michael thought so, at first—feeling that no one else, aside from God, could ever understand the other in depth. He loved God, and served Him with his heart, and was filled with happiness and contentment. He and Lucifer were loved back equally by Him, praised for their steadfast loyalty, care and compassion, diligence and hard work.

 

_Or so he thought. Was he not enough?_

 

“Michael,” Lucifer called gently one day, his voice the sound of tinkling bells, pleasant and sweet.

 

They lay side by side, resting their weary wings and bodies on the soft bed they shared together. It had been a long month without sleep, and Michael had barely seen his brother. He was facing Lucifer, caressing his brother’s silky golden locks. He had always enjoyed the feeling of weaving his fingers between Lucifer’s lovely long hair—it made him feel at peace. “What’s the matter, Lucy?” Michael beamed, his eyes twinkling.

 

“Do you think,” Lucifer sounded a little nervous as he spoke, the wings on his head fluttering a little hesitantly, “that God is always right?”

 

Michael blinked in surprise. Doubt was not a trait that he often caught sight of in his beloved twin, and in _God_ of all things…

 

“What makes you wonder so?” Michael queried, his tone carrying a hint of worry. Unknowingly, he had retracted his fingers from Lucifer’s hair, feeling as if the lack of conviction from his brother had burned his skin.

 

“It’s just… a question.” Lucifer had noticed the change. The shine in his crystal blue eyes dimmed; his voice grew quiet. “It’s nothing,” the archangel added eventually.

 

Michael felt unsettled. _Was it really nothing?_

 

He wondered if he should have pushed harder. Looking back, he probably should have. It was his duty to beheld, to reassure any concerns or dilemmas his dearest other half had. Nevertheless, for once, something inside him stopped him from doing so. Was it because of the notion—that Lucifer could ever harbour doubt in God was simply preposterous, or was it the jealousy inside his heart—hoping that Lucifer would go astray?

 

Michael scorned at himself. He was the Archangel Michael! There was no place for bitterness. Envy was one of the seven deadly sins. He was not envious. Surely not.

 

Eventually the time for Lucifer’s rebellion came, and while the residents of Heaven were shocked at the uprising, Michael was not so. He had already seen the seed of doubt a long time ago, and as he was tasked to fight and cast down his brother, he did so without fail.

 

His eyes wavered in anger, disappointment, sadness, _elation_.

 

The fury and dismay in his brother’s actions, knowing that Lucifer was capable of such heinous thoughts and actions; the sorrow of losing his beloved half, possibly forever—and the thought that he would no longer need to share with Lucifer—the love of God.

 

It was these mix of emotions that Michael had carried within him ever since, and as time passed, he only found his mortification and resentment growing. Despite the war that was waged, Michael was still inexplicably drawn to Lucifer’s fate, he would observe through the looking glass in Heaven in his free time, curious to see what his twin was up to. He watched as Lucifer—now known as Satan to the world—drew up nefarious plans of revenge, corrupting his beautiful soul with the taint of sin, silently condemning and revelling his fallen brother as it happened. The stain of evil had slowly built up from within, blackening Satan’s heart as the fallen archangel conspired with the demons on the wretched planet called Earth.

 

If God knew about Michael’s inner turmoil or Lucifer’s plans, He did not speak about it anyway—Michael was determined and wise enough not to fall into the same abyss as his brother, and Heaven was confident to put a stop to anything Satan had managed to put together.

 

With time came another war and the destruction of Earth. Michael sought to put an end to his own conflict by killing his once beloved brother, but _alas_ , God had seen an opportunity; He had other plans. God ensured that Satan’s soul would prevail the battle and calamity, twisting fate as He created the second Earth. This time, He populated the planet with mankind, made in His own visage. 

 

Humans were a strange and interesting thing, at first. They were so pure and curious, innocent while loyal to their Creator. Yet the naivety made humans open to deceit and sin. Then after millions of years, humanity became as much of a plague as the demons were, and Michael wrinkled his nose in disgust whenever he observed them. However, he knew that there were those worthy of saving—the good-natured, kind-hearted humans—and he was filled with admiration for such people.

 

Satan himself would eventually meet one of these rare, treasured humans—the kind boy, Akira Fudo. Satan would finally understand and fall in love, and wail in despair at his loss. In return, God would give him one last chance.

 

It threw Michael off guard, honestly. He never thought— _after all the things Satan had done_ —that God would ever give his brother another chance, one last hope of forgiveness.

 

Once again, he was _jealous_. This time, he was willing to admit it. Why did Lucifer get to receive such a choice? _Why?_

 

If it was Michael himself who had fallen, would God had offered him something like this?

 

If it was Michael himself, would God had loved him enough to give him another chance for redemption?

 

Michael had never felt so wronged in his life. He could not accept it! How could God ever forgive Lucifer for all the atrocities that had been committed? Surely it was a mistake, but—no, _no_ … God _was_ , was— _not wrong_ , no! No! He could not… must not bring himself to think like that. It was inconceivable to be dubious of God’s intentions. It was starting to turn into a problem, and Michael knew what his thoughts could turn into. He had to prevent it from festering into disaster.

 

He could not go on like this. He would break.

 

Michael heaved a sigh when he realised how dire his situation was. He decided to take matters in to his own hands, unwilling to look at God as he asked to be allowed down to the third Earth. Michael felt unworthy to be in His presence, and frankly, he was afraid—he did not want to be labelled as another failure, just like his twin had been back then. To be known that the Archangel Michael had allowed the scourge of envy to dirty his soul was one of the greatest humiliations he could have to endure.

 

Of course, Michael knew that nothing could ever hope to escape from God’s notice, and he was quite sure that his Creator knew the ongoing conflict in his heart. However, God did not say anything about it and let Michael descend down to Earth with his full blessings.

 

So when the Right Hand of God came down to see his brother, he was actually intending to seek freedom from his suffering, desiring to purge the discontent in his soul. Yet when he arrived, he felt the corrupt emotion in his chest grow stronger. He was free from God's aura, and his mind open to further attack from sin. As he searched for Satan, he wondered if he could ever find solace at all. It seemed like a thirst for revenge was what he desired instead—a need to cover the pain that Lucifer had ever caused him.

* * *

Michael was never this close to humans before. He found that they were even more repulsive up close. The sins they wore on their sleeves were heavy and blatant. There was so much strife and chaos in the world of Men.

 

Getting to know them personally, however, had changed his views a little. Akira Fudo was a spectacular being, as he expected—one surely had to be, to change that cold heart of Satan—and the pangs of jealousy had been a little different this time. Michael was envious that a meek little boy could slowly transform his angelic brother and make Satan learn what love was. When Akira was hurt, Satan would cry, and it was something Michael had never seen before or thought possible—Satan never cried even after he was banished from Heaven, and certainly did not bawl his eyes out over the defeat that was suffered in the first Earth!

 

On another hand, Miki and her friends were a nice bunch, Miki especially—she was a compassionate, loyal child of God, full of forgiveness and kind words. Wamu and the gang were a wild bunch, and Michael did not think much of them at first, deeming them one of the rags of society. But when he talked to them and heard them singing their hearts out, he knew that his views had begun to change.

 

Regardless of his new perspective, Michael still felt resentment towards his mirror image. He did not want Satan to achieve happiness so easily, especially after all the shenanigans his brother had pulled. Perhaps he even secretly desired to see Satan _fail._ Would it be a crime against God if he tried to stop his brother from achieving happiness?

 

Michael felt that he should know the answer, but the growing monster hiding in his heart blinded him from the truth.

 

_Just a little,_ Michael gradually decided. _Just a little push, a little vengeful fun, some hardship for Satan, and a way to lash out his anger without any repercussions._

* * *

“Archangel, you wouldn’t give us this much help for nothing. What conditions do you have?”

 

Michael snapped out of his reverie, feeling a grin creeping up his face. He folded his arms, leaning against the wall, giving three very devious-looking creatures before him a smooth glare.

 

“I just want to _toy_ with my brother,” Michael smirked. “As long as you do not harm any humans, most of all Akira Fudo, I’ll give you information for free.”

 

“ _Free_ , you say. The footage from the night of the Koshien Track Event was certainly _not_ free!” spat Nuga, one of the three.

 

The other, Non, cried out shrilly, “Do you know how many demons we lost in that killing spree you acted out with your traitorous brother?”

 

Michael chuckled, shaking his head. “Pathetic,” was all he said, further incurring the wrath of the first two.

 

“You—!"

 

“ _Enough_ ,” Zei finally spoke, a grim expression on his handsome face. The leader of the three was not keen to pick a fight with the most powerful Archangel of Heaven in his office. Zei’s eyes were fixed on his enemy, a mix of trepidation and hatred.

 

“You’re not here to help us, _clearly_ ,” Zei continued. “But it’s also true that you’re not entirely on Satan’s side. You’ve given us hints and a bit of help, and this allowed us to deceive Akira Fudo. You even led him into our hands, giving us a huge upper hand. What’s your motive?”

 

During the battle with Amon, Michael had slowly shifted the fight, leading Amon towards the nearest Demon headquarters. Days before, Michael had told Zei to expect a gift from the beach, and indeed, he delivered Amon right into their doorstep. Unconscious, bleeding and battered, Amon had transformed back into Akira’s human form, lying in the rubble that was formerly a small shop beside the HQ.

 

“I don’t really have any agenda other than a personal vendetta,” Michael admitted with a shrug. “Besides, if you lot decide to take over the world _again_ , I’ll just come back with my soldiers and wipe the place clean.”

 

The casual threat was not about to fly over the three demons’ heads, but Zei held his hand up before Non or Nuga could retort.

 

“Personal vendetta? I did not think you were capable of that,” Zei mused, “but now I’m quite sure that you wanted Satan to suffer. You enjoy it.”

 

“I hate that I can’t deny how you’re right.”

 

“So you say,” Zei was smiling now. Ever since Michael showed up with offers of help, the leader of the demon race knew he had to change his strategy a little.

 

Not too long ago, Michael had appeared before them with the possibility of assistance, as well as the commination to destroy them again if the demons foolishly killed off the humans, and Zei was very clear on how powerful the angelic army was by now. Twice the amount of world destruction was enough. This time around, the demons would have to bury themselves deeper this time—into the hearts of humans. It would take more time, what with spreading evil influence and corruption, but it could be worth it. In the previous Earth, Men had shown that they were a force to be reckoned with, and perhaps, if demons and humans joined forces, the angels would have a lesser chance of victory?

 

Every little bit of help counted towards it. Whether Michael cared about aiding demons or not— _Zei was pretty sure Michael was just using them_ —it still mattered greatly in the long run. Satan was a big wrench in the demons’ plan this time, and Zei had to figure out a way of getting Satan out of the picture. It was either by coercion or blackmail.

 

“We won’t kill Akira Fudo, as promised,” Nuga decided to say after a moment of silence.

 

Non added, “He will be vital in our plans, but once Satan is dealt with, we’ll give him back in one piece. Alive.”

 

“Not as Amon, I hope,” Michael said darkly. “You better keep your word, _or else_ …” His tone had implications that gave the demonic trio the shudders.

 

“We will keep our end of the bargain,” Zei guaranteed.

 

“See to it that you will,” Michael nodded, “because if you do not, I will have to act against you immediately, and you shouldn’t be too surprised if I _do_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael is a wildcard? :O
> 
> Chapter 12 would make sense with this, if you remember... Michael had planned it with the trio. Well, now that it's revealed... Comments please? :D


	19. Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of thinking and planning in this chapter.

 

  
  


_Akira…_

_Akira, where are you…_

 

Satan floated through thick, white fog, searching for his love.

 

He could see nothing. He was lost. He was scared.

 

_Akira!_

 

Satan screamed the name, hoping to summon his lover. There was a hole in his chest as immense fear ate away at his soul. His wings drooped behind, the lower ones sliding along the cold white floor, feathers trailing behind his wake.

 

Satan ran and ran, trying to find Akira. He shouted and called, over and over, the cries echoing in the empty space.

 

There was nothing, and no one. He was alone.

 

“Akira… I don’t want to be alone. I don’t want to be alone anymore,” Satan sobbed as he drifted, his feet barely touching the ground as he searched.

 

The fog was an endless swirling mist that obscured his vision, but he held onto the hope that he would eventually find his love.

 

And when he heard it…

 

“Ryo!”

 

Satan spun around, heading towards the voice. Wings spanned out in joy as the angel glided over, the feelings of delight spreading throughout his body, a welcomed warmth. He could see a black silhouette growing in the distance, and as he sped towards it, he saw—

 

“ _Akira?_ ”

 

The expression that the Devilman carried was enough to break the fallen archangel’s heart.

 

“Why did you lie to me, Ryo?” Akira asked in his raspy Devilman voice.

 

“I-I didn’t want to hurt you, I didn’t want you to hate me! For what I’ve done!” Satan blurted out, feeling scared again.

 

“So you don’t trust me enough,” Akira hissed. “You made me doubt myself. You made me doubt you."

 

Satan was at a loss for words.

 

“If you weren’t so bent on telling lies, this would have never happened,” the Devilman sighed. Then he started laughing, crying and screaming…

 

Satan watched in horror as Amon took over.

 

“Satan, thank you so much… for bringing this upon yourself. I’m honoured to be able to cause this much pain to you!” The voice of Amon cackled in glee.

 

Shaking and falling to his knees, Satan held his arms around his chest, unable to see through the tears—it was all his fault! He messed it all up!

 

“No… no! No n-no, no! No, NO!”

 

Satan wailed and screamed, the horror drowning his senses, the grief overpowering him—there was nothing that could console him now, he had _failed_ , it was over—his Akira was gone, gone!

 

“Akira!” Satan yelled again before feeling his body shaken by something—or someone. 

 

“Wake up, my lord! _Please!_ ”

 

Jenny’s voice resounded in his ear. Confusion filled in the void.

 

“J-Jenny?” Satan mumbled, opening his eyelids.

 

He found himself lying on a bed, surrounded by Jenny, Michael and Miki. Familiar ivory wallpapers and a snowy white ceiling greeted him—it was his own room. He was back home, it seemed.

 

For a second, Satan was befuddled by sleep. Then reality crashed down like a tidal wave. His eyes widened and he gripped Jenny’s arms, shouting, “Akira! Where, where is he?”

 

The powerful psychic demoness was at a loss for words, staring blankly at her lord. Sensing that she wasn’t going to answer him immediately, Satan turned to Miki, who was right behind Jenny.

 

“Miki,” he cried out, “where’s Akira?”

 

Her face crumpled into tears, replacing the weary, glum expression she had when he just woke up. She shook her head wordlessly.

 

Satan’s heart sank. _It couldn’t be…_

 

Tears welled up in his eyes. The dream he had was becoming a nightmare of reality. He had lost Akira forever…

 

“W-what happened?” Satan’s voice croaked, trying to control his trembling visage. “Didn’t you say you’d deal with everything, Jenny? You gave me your word! You were supposed to make sure everything turned out alright! I… I want… I want my Akira!” The fallen angel, currently in his human form, gripped the bed sheets so hard that his knuckles turned white. Tear droplets pelted the blanket draped over his lower body.

 

It was pathetic, crying like this in front of them, but he couldn’t help it; his whole world revolved around Akira, and without Akira, a pain tore away at his heart, a fear that made him sad and vulnerable like a mortal.

 

Meanwhile, Michael wiped the small grin that appeared for a second from his face as Jenny sighed and turned to look at Miki and him. The powerful archangel had almost let slip that he was enjoying this moment! But it seemed that the powerful psychic demoness did not catch him in the act.

 

“It’s tragic, but Amon was able to escape from me before I could batter him to bits,” Michael scoffed. “I underestimated his cunningness. Sorry, Lucy.”

 

His short and direct apology only made Satan sob harder—Miki and Jenny sent him a frown. Miki’s one was especially jarring; Michael could sense her disappointment towards the great and mighty archangel, whose identity was clear to her now.

 

Jenny had cleaned up the majority of the destruction and aftermath of the battle, wiped the memories of all the humans in the vicinity of the beach including Wamu and gang, but chose to leave Miki and Miko’s memories intact. She had felt that keeping Miki and Miko in the dark would not help much. It also went without saying that she knew Miko was secretly a human who had conquered the demon who possessed her.

 

So right now, the two strong-headed girls knew everything that had gone on behind the scenes, thanks to Jenny. Miki also found out about Miko, and they had a long talk about it while Satan was out; there had been some shouting and crying behind doors, but the two friends made up real quickly.

 

Secondly, finding out that the Ryo they knew was actually Lucifer aka Satan was a huge blow to their realities, Miki especially. After all, she had been raised all her life believing in how evil the lord of devils, Satan was. But to her, Ryo had always been nice—in a pain in the ass way—but he loved Akira so dearly, and well, that meant Satan couldn’t be as evil as she believed, right?

 

As for Michael, he had just returned from his visit with Zennon’s riff-raff. He was surprised that Jenny had chosen to include the girls into the circle. When he got here earlier, Miki’s gaze on him—so full of worship and awe—had been very interesting. Miko looked a little distrusting of him, on the other hand, and he wondered if she might bring him any trouble. He decided to stay away from her if he could help it, and thankfully she wasn’t around at the moment.

 

“My lord, it’s not over! We can try to find out where Amon has gone. Surely he did not go too far. There might be a chance that he reverts back to Akira as well! We can easily retrieve Akira if he contacts us,” Jenny tried optimistically. “I do not think Zennon has gotten to him, but if the worst case scenario happened, I’m quite sure they wouldn’t harm him. We can—“

 

“No!” wailed the distressed blonde, “I ruined _everything_! Whether Akira gets back to normal or not, he won’t want to have anything to do with me anymore!”

 

“W-why?” Jenny asked, worried.

 

“Because, because I… lied to him about everything, and he found out, and he got really angry. He glared at me and I knew, I _knew_ at that moment that he hated me! He won’t forgive me,” Satan bawled, a fresh round of tears leaking from his pretty blue eyes.

 

Jenny looked at her lord, concern etched across her eternally smiling face. She didn’t know what to say, and she never saw her revered master acting like this before. She also felt that it would be rude to pry into his memories at the moment; she didn’t want to make him feel any worse. Jenny glanced at Miki, who puffed her cheeks angrily.

 

“Oi, Ryo!” Miki shouted in a fury over the pitiful noise. “Are you really _Satan_ , the fallen archangel who destroyed the world over and over? Because the impression you’re giving me right now is totally _pathetic!_ You’re acting like a feeble, depressed wimp!"

 

“S-shut up, you witch! I _am_ depressed! And I don’t care about whatever impressions I’m g-giving you!”

 

“Well, it seems like you can still act high and mighty with me, so why don’t you start by stopping your pitiful act and listen to me?”

 

“What?” Satan sniffed and wiped his tears away before glaring at Miki, “What do you want from me? Leave me alone—"

 

The russet-haired youth cleared her throat and interjected loudly, “Stop it! Akira’s not going to get any better if he sees you like this!"

 

Michael raised an eyebrow when he saw his brother go quiet and stiff. Miki had a scary expression on her face.

 

“Listen, Ryo! I don’t know what happened between you and Akira before he turned into Amon, but I know Akira really well, and I know he really loves you! He won’t give up on you like that. He doesn’t hate people! It’s not the end like you described!” Miki’s voice was full of conviction, and she stepped forward, putting her hands down on Satan’s shoulders, one on each side. Her face leaned closer to his face so that she could stare directly into his eyes, not caring if she gave him any discomfort.

 

Satan could see the fire blazing in her emerald green orbs. She was assuring her with her words and her heart. Miki then fell to a whisper, saying, “Ryo, I’m telling you this as a friend. I don’t want to see you or Akira sad, because the both of you are important people to me. I want you to believe me when I say this. It’s not over for you and him, Ryo! Whatever happened between the both of you, just come clean. Apologise with your heart, hold nothing back. Make sure he sees it. He’s always crying for others because he can see their hearts and their sadness, Ryo, and if you find him and open yourself up, he will surely understand. And I know he’ll forgive you and come back to you."

 

With that, she gave his shoulders a firm squeeze and let herself off him. Satan looked up at her, blue eyes wide. Miki was smiling now. Her words echoed in his mind.

 

_Hold nothing back. He’ll forgive you._

 

After a moment, he smiled back, much to Jenny and Michael’s surprise. _“_ You’re right, Miki,” said the fallen angel gratefully. “Thank you.”

 

“That’s the spirit!” Miki chuckled. “Now that you’ve got your sense of reasoning back, perhaps we can start to make some progress?”

 

Satan nodded. “I can’t sit here and be depressed. Every second that passes could be dangerous to Akira.” He pushed the covers away, standing up. “Zennon was the one who turned Akira against me, and gave him a drink that unearthed Amon’s consciousness.”

 

Satan quickly explained what had transpired between him and Akira when they were alone at the beach. He brought his companions to the main living room, grabbing a few laptops along the way.

 

Miko was already there, apparently asleep on one of the couches. “Miko had been helping me with the cleanup,” Jenny told Satan promptly, then proceeded to go and prepare dinner, leaving Satan, Miki and Michael behind. Miko was going to need a lot of sustenance when she woke up, and Jenny would need a lot of time cooking.

 

“Alright, I need the both of you to help me out here. We can start with tracking Akira’s cell phone signal.” Satan was down to business, laptop ready. Miki sat down, her features full of determination.

 

“I don’t know how to use human technology,” Michael scowled.

 

Satan lifted an eyebrow. _Of course._

 

“Then how about you tell me what happened when you lost Amon? Where was he flying off to?"

 

Michael thought about his answer. There was no way Lucy would believe Amon could easily outfly Michael. So he said, “I had thrown Amon into a building, probably one of those beachside hotels. There was a lot of dust and debris. Amon managed to confuse me with his tactics before I realised he was far away, flying towards the east, where the city was. If I flew after him, I would be seen by a lot more humans, and the risk of being discovered would increase exponentially—I don’t think Jenny would be able to cover every single human if I was sighted in the city. Besides, it’s not my fight, I’m supposed to be an observer, so I didn’t bother chasing after him."

 

His story made sense, and his twin did not question him much after that. Satan turned his focus to the program that let him track down Akira’s cell phone instead, since he was sure Akira had the phone kept in his jean pocket.

 

“Akira’s phone signal was last traced in a shop by the beach, not too far from the initial fight,” Miki pointed out.

 

“Ah, and it hasn’t been around ever since. It was probably crushed in the fight,” Satan sighed. “If he did fly towards the city, then he’s probably hiding it out somewhere. In this case, we need to figure out how long Amon’s influence would last…”

 

“If Akira does come back to his senses, he’d come back here, or at least call one of us,” Miki reasoned. “Even if he was still angry with you, I’m sure he’d find me instead, or head back to my house! I’ll check up with Mum to see if he popped by. He could have gone back to see his mother."

 

“Well, there’s a possibility he was captured by Zennon…” Satan pondered with a small dread. “This whole thing reeks of Zennon, and I think Zennon might have some way of getting Akira into his hands. Ah, maybe Amon flew to the city to find Zennon?”

 

Michael was bored, so he chose this moment to get up and announced that he was going for a walk. Miki looked a little uncertain, as if an internal war was waging in her head. In the end she glanced at Michael and spoke, “You’re not going to help, _sir_?”

 

She had started calling him ‘sir’ ever since she found out about Michael’s true identity. It felt too weird for her to call him anything else. ‘Mike’ was too personal and ‘my lord’ was too much for her!

 

“I’m just here to watch over my brother,” Michael told her, giving a gentle smile. “I’m not supposed to intervene too much."

 

Satan rolled his eyes as he watched his twin leave. He hated it when Michael gave that stupid expression, it reeked of fakery. Of course, the humans would fall for it; Miki looked like she had been kissed by God himself. _Ugh_.

 

Satan’s eyes dropped back down to his laptop, his brows knitted in concentration. There were many variables he needed to think about it, and whether Akira or Amon was currently in control. Just what did Zennon give Akira, anyway? Could it be the same drink he gave Koda, back on the Second Earth? The one that could warp and amplify the inner, dark desires of a human, releasing their demonic form against their will?

 

“I wonder if Zennon is behind all of it,” Miki wondered aloud. “Do you think anyone would help him?"

 

“Zennon’s a very powerful being, made up of a few strong demons. He has multiple minds and powers,” Satan told her warily. “I doubt he has much tolerance for humans, so he wouldn’t seek help from them. He does have a legion of demons under his call, however, and the only beings equal or more powerful than demons are angels."

 

“Ah, I see. So he must be the mastermind,” Miki replied. “He won’t seek human aid, and I’m sure angels won’t help him, so the demons are pretty much on their own. That feels kind of lonely.”

 

Satan blinked. “You feel sympathetic for them?” He sounded incredulous. “They’re an evil race, you know.”

 

“Perhaps so, but… I’m sure they also have emotions and hearts. See, Jenny’s a demon too, and she doesn’t seem so bad.”

 

 _Jenny_ … “Jenny is different,” Satan responded defensively. “Demons aren’t capable of love anyway. They think it’s weak!"

 

“How do you know that?” Miki asked. “I think demons just want to survive as much as humans do. Maybe I’m thinking too much about it, but I can’t help but feel a little bad for them.”

 

Satan decided to drop the topic here, it was making him a tad uncomfortable.

 

“Miki, we’re supposed to be finding Akira, not discussing whether demons deserve pity or not,” he reminded.

 

“Right, sorry!"

 

——————————————————————————————

 

When the night approached, it came with strong winds and loud thunder. Rain pelted the windows as Satan sat staring at the bright screen, still full of thoughts about Akira.

 

Miki had gone home right after dinner, and Miko was the one sprawled over the opposite cushions, content with her large and delicious meal. Jenny was here, seated beside her lord, scrolling through a tablet in her hands.

 

“My lord,” Jenny said after an air of silence, “as I said earlier, I can attempt to comb the city for a demon and extract the location of the current demon HQ from his memories.”

 

Satan had been adamantly against this at first—he did not want Jenny to get hurt again. Her body was still recovering from the previous assault and he felt protective towards his loyal servant, for once. But as time passed with zero leads, the blonde was getting desperate.

 

“Zennon might expect it,” Satan countered feebly, “he probably has measures against it. He could set some demons with false leads or locations that could lead into deadly traps, and that’s the last thing I want, because I’m not willing to have you injured again.”

 

Jenny’s eternal smile grew wider and a light blush dusted over her cheeks. “My lord, I’m happy to hear that you care so much about me—” her blush then disappeared and her expression turned serious “—but Akira takes priority. Your needs take priority. Furthermore, we’re running out of options and time,” Jenny pointed out. “By now, it seems more and more likely that Akira has fallen into Zennon’s hands.”

 

Satan groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, not caring if he messed it up. “Why does this have to be so difficult?” he muttered angrily.

 

Miko grinned from her cushions. “It’s the ultimate test of love, you dolt. Of course it’s gonna be hard,” she sang. There was a whiff of vodka coming from her. Satan made a mental note to keep any alcohol away from Miko in future.

 

“If we comb the city tonight and find a demon, you should stay behind and let me and Miko check the location out,” Satan decided and told Jenny, who nodded.

 

Miko then said, “I don’t mind, but what about Mike?”

 

“My brother? He’s probably not coming,” Satan replied. Michael had not been back for hours ever since he left for a ‘walk’, and the fallen twin wasn’t going to be bothered about his brother’s whereabouts. After all, Michael always did what he wanted and Satan was never able to control him.

 

“Huh,” Miko puffed her cheeks. “So unhelpful. But then I think, it’s better if he’s not around us. He gives me bad vibes.”

 

Satan looked up from his laptop and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, Miko?”

 

The red-haired girl stared at him crossly. “Do you not feel like he’s up to something? My woman's intuition is telling me he’s not as trustable as he should be!”

 

 _Really_ , Satan smirked inwardly. _To think Michael’s charm could fail on some humans after all._

 

To his surprise, Jenny chose to speak up about it too. “I agree with Miko, my lord. Your brother’s mind is still very much guarded against my powers, and I have a terrible hunch that he is planning against your back. I’ve even caught him looking at you with a very nasty expression a few times when he thought I wasn’t noticing.”

 

Satan blinked and shrugged, folding his arms as he leaned back against the couch. He scoffed, “That’s not really news to me. We’ve been at each other’s throats for quite a long time. I’m actually surprised that he’s helped me out a few times in this loop, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was doing things behind my back...”

 

 _Wait_ , Satan startled. _Could Michael be helping Zennon in secret?_

 

He glanced at Jenny, his blue orbs shining with new trepidation.

 

Jenny easily read his mind and frowned. “You don’t think that Michael has anything to do with Akira’s matter, do you, my lord?”

 

Miko sat up in alarm. “Whoa! It makes sense if he does! Wasn’t Michael the one who was fighting and claimed he lost Amon?”

 

Cold sweat trickled down his back as Satan gulped. Why hadn’t the thought ever crossed his mind? Under normal circumstances, he would be quite confident to counter the idea, as he was very clear on how much Michael loathed the demon race. However, the current matter with Akira made him reconsider—how much did he actually understand his twin brother these days? “Would Michael really go that far? I have always known that he… _hates me_ , but he despises the demons, so would he actually help them? Nevertheless, it does fit the mystery of Amon’s escape…”

 

Lightning flashed outside, streaks of white against the night sky, thunder booming every now and then. The downpour was getting heavier, and the city lights were a blur outside the glass panes. Satan looked out, his eyes reflecting the city; it was a beautiful sight, but he could not appreciate it tonight. Then he remembered—Akira always loved the view. 

 

_Akira…_

 

 _I miss you, Akira,_ Satan thought sadly. _I miss you so much._

 

The idea of Michael going against his ideals to make Satan suffer was growing stronger every second.  
  


 _If Michael is behind this, I’m going to make him pay_ . _If Akira gets hurt, I’ll make him wish he stayed back in Heaven!_

 

Fists were tightly clenched. There was no time to lose. “We’ve got a storm outside, but I’m not going to wait until it’s over. We should get ready to go out and find some demons,” Satan hissed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope my characters aren't too out-of-character ._.
> 
> So, um, comments? :D


	20. Cards to play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira finds himself in a boring room, and Satan's out to get blood.

 

 

 

When Akira woke up, he found himself in an enclosed, small dark room that was empty and bare, save for a dimly lit lightbulb hanging from the middle of the ceiling and a simple metallic door. His night vision was pretty good, and he could spot scratches across the rough concrete floor.

 

The air was damp and he could hear the sound of rain and thunder in the distance. It gave him the impression that he was in some kind of basement.

 

Akira knitted his brows and tried to put his mind together.

 

_How did I get here? What’s the last thing I remember?_ He pondered deeply, racking his brains; there was a dull pain in his head and a nagging feeling that something big had happened while he was out.

 

The last thing he could manage to conjure up in his mind was the sight of Ryo and the beach—the beach! Akira’s eyes lit up. He felt the memories flooding back like a torrent wave, letting him remember the talk that he had with Ryo.

 

_Of course! We were talking about Zennon. I took the drink as a precaution before we did. Then I got angry at Ryo, I lost my temper and I… I can’t remember anymore._

 

Akira frowned. What occured after he blacked out? It didn’t explain how he got here.

 

Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long—he could hear footsteps drawing closer outside the door.

 

With a loud _click_ , the door swung open, revealing a smug looking Zei and his two companions. Akira watched them warily, his fists clenched at his sides. He had a bad feeling that Zei was behind whatever had happened. “What’s going on?” Akira blurted out, forgoing polite greetings.

 

Zei chuckled. “Straight to the point, huh? Well Akira, thanks to you, things have been set in motion. Satan is aware of our dealings, and he’s really furious. No doubt he’s currently braving the weather in search of our latest hideout.”

 

“What things are you talking about?”

 

“I’m referring to the grand plan, of course. We’re going to use you as leverage against Satan! We’ll make him join our side against the angels, and make sure the world is safe.”

 

“Ah,” Akira remembered the story he was told. “So if you manage to convince him, Earth will have a chance in the battle against the angels. In any case, how did I get here? I don’t like this place much. Can I leave?”

 

Non replied, “Apparently, Satan lost his control and began attacking you, so the drink triggered your primal instincts and brought out your full powers as Amon. You battled him and managed to escape, and subconsciously flew over to us. Right now, we’re holding you in a basement under our HQ near the Koshien stadium.”

 

“The room’s a little empty, but you’ll have to bear with it until we get Satan on our side. It probably won’t take too long,” Nuga supplied on the side. “The walls here protect against Jenny’s psychic powers so she can’t locate you easily.”

 

Akira nodded glumly. He wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of staying in this dingy place for a long time. “At least get me some food and a place to lie on,” the Devilman told them.

 

——————————————————————————————

 

Satan was busy beating up a snake-like demon with his bare hands, his angelic form shining brightly in the dark alley. The rain was pelting down on his body; his wings were water-resistant, so the water just splashed off them and let him avoid looking like a drowning cat.

 

Jenny and Miko were watching from the distance, the latter looking amazed at the fallen angel’s strength. Miko was still in her human form, while Jenny had opted to roam around in her demon appearance. It enabled her to use her powers more freely. Jenny commented, “My lord, we should move on. Killing him won’t magically make him know the correct location.”

 

Satan growled and dropped his poor bleeding victim to the ground and turned his back against the half-dead snake creature. “Gahhh, the storm is such a bother! Why did it have to rain?”

 

He didn’t like flying around with the feeling of getting battered down by a dozen sky droplets per second. In his frustration and desperation, any little thing was an annoyance; a headache seized him constantly, and it felt good to exert his fury on any demon that he got his hands on. Jenny scowled. “At least it means less humans prowling outside, my lord. This is a good thing.”

 

“I don’t really care much about the humans right now, Jenny,” Satan gritted his teeth and stammered, “Akira is priority. Besides, you can just wipe their memories if any human chances upon us.”

 

“I might miss out one or two in our haste. The lesser risk the better,” Jenny replied, and floated towards the direction of the next demon that she could sense with her powers. 

 

It didn’t take her long. A mix of a boar and lion, the grotesque mixture of a creature greeted her from behind a window, its eyes blinking at her while chewing on a human carcass. Red blood and guts spilled from its mouth, and it snarled at her when realising who she was. _Traitor—_ the words formed briefly in its mind. She ignored it and attacked the demon’s mind, rendering it mute and dumb; she pushed her abilities past the mind’s defences, delving deep into her target’s subconsciousness, searching for what she needed.

 

_Bingo_ , she cheered. A new location that told her it was a promising one.

 

She released her hold and called for Satan, who promptly appeared by her side. “You got a new address?” asked the angel.

 

“Yes,” came the dutiful reply.

 

“Great, let me beat up this guy first,” Satan chirped before breaking the window and giving his latest prey a piece of his wrath.

 

——————————————————————————————

 

The storm continued on as midnight bells rang through the air. Zei and his two other counterparts were biding their time, seated around a wooden, oval table on the ground floor of the makeshift headquarters that currently held less than ten demons. Non was shaking nervously, biting her nails; Nuga was shifting through some papers, sweat covering his brow; Zei had an intimidating scowl that masked his emotions.

 

They could feel something approaching. It was about time.

 

“ZENNON!”

 

The glass doors of the building’s entrance crashed and broke into millions of pieces as the piercing cry reverberated in the eardrums of all demons in the vicinity. Instantly, the demons in the building all converged to the location, hissing and shrieking, talons and fangs barred, ready for a fight. 

 

When the dust settled, the silhouette of a brilliant light shone through. The demons lunged forward to attack the lone intruder, unaware that it would be their final moments.

 

In mere seconds, the marble floors––already dusty and littered with glass pieces––were splattered with ichor, guts and limbs. Snarls and howls of death carried over the thunderstorm outside.

 

“You’re finally here!” Zennon’s voice boomed across the room.

 

In all his wrath and fury, Satan looked like a beautiful warrior of vengeance. His blue orbs were brimming with emotion––sparks of madness and agony. His lithe figure was covered in glass shards and water droplets that sparkled under the white glow of his skin. Standing right at the wrecked entrance, Satan’s twelve wings were stretched out, showcasing his glory and intimidating authority.

 

Zennon was no match for Satan’s full power. Of course, he did not know about his enemy’s weakened condition; that would have been a huge advantage for him. However, Zennon did not back down. The merged forms of Zei, Non and Nuga towered over the encroaching assailant, oozing with menacing aura.

 

There were still cards to play for the villain. It was too early to retreat.

 

“Zennon,” Satan growled, “tell me where Akira is, and I’ll give you a quick and painless _death!"_

 

The huge beast sniggered. All three heads of Zennon kept their eyes on him, and the reply was, “No.”

 

Satan was taken aback by the reply, but he quickly recovered and lurched toward, ready to tear his enemy to pieces.

 

“Satan, aren’t you impatient,” Zennon chuckled, arms out and ready to tackle his opponent. A little fight wouldn’t hurt too much, and the leader of demons was quite certain that Satan wasn’t going to kill him just like that.

 

Jenny and Mio quickly arrived and found a battle ensuing; light and darkness fought as if their lives depended on it. Jenny cried out, “My lord!"

 

Psycho Jenny was the only one who knew about Satan’s pregnancy, and while she had no qualms about him fighting lesser demons, Zennon was another matter entirely. She quickly found herself watching anxiously.

 

Satan had heard his faithful companion cry out in alarm, and he stopped himself from slamming a bolt of light into Zennon’s torso, choosing to retreat backwards to safety. In his anger, he had almost forgotten about his unborn child. He had to control himself.

 

Zennon glared with interest, surprised at the change of battle. “What’s wrong, Satan? Weren’t you all ready to rip me to shreds?”

 

The taunt irked the fallen archangel, but Satan replied, “It would make me very pleased to see you dead, but I have more important things at hand. Tell me where Akira is!”

 

“Well, well. The human surely means a lot to you, doesn’t he?” Zennon licked his lips, eyes dancing in glee. “I do have him, but why would I ever hand him to you for free?”

 

“Tell me!” Satan screamed angrily, having no patience for games. His twelve white wings were flaring and he was itching to have a go at Zennon again. His body felt like it was on fire. His arm cut at the air before him, releasing a wave of energy that could slice like a blade. Zennon dodged it and the wave hit the wall behind the huge demon, creating a large gash. In the next instance, the ceiling above Zennon cracked and fell, sending more dust and debris into the air.

 

Jenny and Miko were standing in the distance, their gazes frozen onto the scene, willing to know what would happen next. Jenny’s mind was whirring with a plan, however. While she could not access the great Zennon’s mind with her powers, she could try to get away and search for Akira. The chance that he was being kept nearby should be quite high, and Zennon was hardly paying attention to her and Miko at the moment. She mentally reached out to Miko.

 

_Miss Miko,_ Jenny called out gently in the red-haired girl’s mind, _it’s me, Jenny. I’m going to slip away and look for Akira, just in case he’s in the area. I need you to stay and watch over my lord._

 

Miko glanced at Jenny, a little surprised at the intrusion in her mind. Nevertheless she gave a slight nod, and Jenny glided away silently when she was sure Zennon wasn’t watching.

 

Standing atop a field of debris and broken furniture, Zennon slowly appeared into Satan’s field of vision once more and broke into a fit, his giant frame shaking with mirth. “Satan,” he rasped, “ _you_ don’t demand things from _me_. I set the rules here!"

 

With a snap of his furry claws, Zennon brought a huge, cracked screen down in display. There was a loud beep as it switched on, the image flickering to life, the quality feeble due to the damage. To Satan’s horror, he saw an unconscious Akira, strapped onto a metal table.

 

“Akira!” Miko gasped in shock while the blonde angel watched with wide eyes.

 

“What are you doing to him?” Satan grew enraged, but Zennon lifted a hand and smirked.

 

“Please, don’t get hasty. Let me tell you what happened and why killing me is a bad idea!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zennon's going to lay down his cards!  
> *If you spot any errors, especially with names, it's my autocorrect function going stupid lately. I only realised it recently, it wasn't this annoying back then. I had to correct Zai to Zei a few dozen times, for example. Hopefully I didn't miss out too many errors.
> 
> Thank you so much for the support so far, as always I'm motivated and cheered on by each comment, I'm happy you guys have been enjoying it!


	21. Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zennon begins his plan to blackmail Satan. Jenny searches for Akira. Someone shows up as she does...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, another chapter for you guys! Double updates :D

 

 

 

 

 

“He was out for a few hours,” Zennon sounded sickly cheerful. “He appeared on my doorstep, and I couldn’t let such a good chance to waste!”

 

Satan was trying to hold himself back from screaming in agonised fury. Instead he barred his teeth and glared at Zennon with fire in his eyes, while his fists were clenched tightly at his sides.

 

“What. Did. You. Do!” Satan’s tone was trembling and shaking from control.

 

Even Miko found herself slipping into her spidery demon form, unspent wrath twisting her beautiful human features. She couldn’t help but be angry at the sight of sweet Akira, looking so helpless in that image.

 

“I’m only getting started,” Zennon remarked. “Please give a little patience, _Lord Satan._ ” The last part was laden with sarcasm. The beast then swept his gaze to the screen with a bemused grin and continued, “Akira Fudo, the human who nests the consciousness of the powerful Amon. Both equally important cards in my plan. Your greatest weakness, and my strongest warrior.

 

“I had been planning to get my hands on Akira, and I knew what I needed to do if I could have him. Thanks to your idea back on the Second Earth, of a drink that could bring out the primal desires of a human and make them lose control in their demonic forms, I researched for a more controllable and lasting method. In the end, I had succeeded!”

 

Zennon pointed a talon at the screen and exclaimed, “A chip in the brain that sends shocks directly into his system and triggers the basic impulses of man! A quick operation to do the trick, and since demons heal so fast, Akira never suspected a thing! Besides, he listens to what I say, and he agrees with me on my views towards you. Bwahahaha!”

 

Satan was shaking so much that he could no longer help himself. “ZENNON! HOW DARE YOU!”

 

The fallen angel leapt forward, screaming at his enemy, clawing at Zennon’s face. He wanted to destroy the beast _immediately_ , he was not going to take this lying down! How could Zennon do such a thing to his beloved Akira! How could he—!

 

Zennon gave a hiss and grabbed the blonde by the torso, wrapping large claws around the angel before throwing him to the ground. Miko darted forward as well, her rage killing off reason. She jumped onto Zennon’s back and bit into his flesh, and stabbed him with her sharp limbs before he reached behind and swatted her off like a fly. She was no match for him, and he lifted her up and slammed her unconscious onto the ground with a loud _bang_ before turning back to his real opponent.

 

“Before you succumb to your weak emotions,” Zennon roared, stomping a foot down on Satan’s head, “know that I’ve got Akira under my total control! I can will the chip to activate whenever I want it, and all it takes is a simple thought. He can turn into Amon any time! And hear this-" Zennon lifted his foot, looking down at Satan’s angry, bruised face, “-Akira will die if I activate the microchip too many times in a short period of time. In short, by making the shard in his brain go _overdrive_ , it will kill him painfully! And you can bet that if I die, the chip will go haywire and send him off with me anyway."

 

Satan stared in horror and shock on hearing the news. Zennon had really got the upper hand over him this time. If he could kill Akira with a simple will, as well as bring his lover to a horrible death if he killed Zennon, then what choice did Satan have?!

 

There’s none, the fallen angel told himself weakly. He had lost.

 

“What do you want?” Satan managed eventually, sounding extremely tired. His rage was steaming off, leaving him spent and weary. He just wanted to see Akira.

 

Zennon’s face loomed over him with a jeering expression.

 

 

 

——————————————————————————————

 

Jenny flew around the area, sending out brainwaves, trying to pick up the tendrils of Akira Fudo’s mind. She was soaked in the rain, floating around like a giant, damp fur ball. It made her heavier, but she was hardly giving it any thought; she was too focused on tracing for Akira.

 

She felt like she had it, but it was so faint that she could not determine a location or direction. Zennon must have found a way to block her abilities. The humans had done it before back on the war of Second Earth, and it wouldn’t be strange if Zennon figured it out this time.

 

Finally, she stopped by the Koshien stadium. There was a huge skyscraper near it, and she had first felt Akira’s presence while floating about the area here.

 

_Akira could be somewhere here, but I’ll need to enter the buildings and check in more detail. In any case, demon presence is especially strong in this whole place._

 

It was a huge sign of being a major demon hideout, and she could feel the makings of a huge demon army coming from the skyscraper. Perhaps she could find out more information from the demons in the building.

 

Without wasting any time, Jenny flew in through the entrance that slid open happily for her. Two guards had been stationed there, and they saw her approach with wide eyes before yelling _‘Traitor!’_ and chasing after her.

 

_Fools_ , Jenny thought. _They think they can stop me?_

A simple blast from her mind turned the two guards into mindless creatures that tore each other apart.

 

She continued to fly around, invading the minds of all the unfortunate demons in the lobby. They had been caught unawares, and by the time they tried to close their senses from her, she had already finished and gave them the order to kill their own comrades.

 

_There’s twenty floors above and two below. The receptionists and guards are quite sure of what the upper floors are for, but they don’t know much about the basement levels. I can check those._

Jenny grabbed a security card from a dead guard, then floated to the lifts and pressed a button. She was going to ride the elevator down like a civilised lady.

 

When she got in, she swiped the card on a pad and pressed ‘B1’. There was the soft chime of classical piano playing in the lift. Three seconds later, a loud _ding_ told her she had arrived at the desired floor. She stepped out into a dark, unlit corridor. The light from the elevator illuminated it, giving Jenny enough to see her way through the rest with her demonic night vision. There were doors along the hall, and one big metallic door at the end of her path.

 

It was eerily quiet, and when she reached the end of the corridor, she found it locked. She could sense Akira’s presence much strongly now. Surely she had found him.

 

She swiped the card over the keypad by the wall, but her access was denied. Jenny bit her lip in frustration. She would have to hack into the device.

 

Before she could begin, however, an unwelcome presence made itself known, and Jenny whipped around in alarm.

 

Her heart was beating in shock and fear.

 

Standing right outside the lift and out of the light was a powerful archangel, dressed in golden battle armour, a beautiful spear wielded in his hand. Against the light from the elevator, Michael looked like a predator who had been lying in wait for his meal. His face was cast in shadow; his skin barely glowed. Blue eyes shone coldly into her soul.

 

“Michael, what’s the meaning of this?” Jenny asked warily.

 

“Psycho Jenny,” Michael drawled, his tone as cold as his glare, “you’re not supposed to be _here_."

 

Jenny's big eyes glinted in the dark. It seemed that she had figured out something. “Why are you working with Zennon? Isn’t he your enemy?” Jenny snapped, going straight to the point with her accusations. She was now entirely convinced that Michael was up to no good. Her suspicions of Michael had shown her that she was right to distrust him—why else would he be here?

 

Michael said nothing, but he stepped forward, lifting his spear.

 

Jenny staggered backwards and felt her back grazing against the metal door. Her arms and legs were shaking. She had nowhere to go—she was trapped. The only way out of this would be to speak sense in the archangel, hopefully. Jenny wasn't sure what Michael had planned to do by helping Zennon, but she knew that as the Right Hand of God, he couldn't possibly be doing anything that went against Heaven's values. At least, not by too much. She decided to wield this fact as a weapon.

 

“M-Michael,” Jenny stammered, “this is treachery against your own kind! I'm working to save a good soul, while you- you're trying to stop me by helping the demons. You can’t just work with the demon race and get away with it! I know how Heaven works!"

 

Michael froze in his tracks, his face expressionless at her words. He looked at her silently, then whispered, “I’m not working for Zennon. I’m doing _whatever_ I want, on my own terms. Heaven’s not going to interfere unless I say so. Don’t pretend you know us so well, demoness.”

 

He moved again. Without warning, he darted right in front of her, thrusting his deadly spear into her soft body—Jenny’s eyes widened in shock. She felt the cold intrusion crushing her insides, and her immediate instinct was to lash out with her powers.

 

Psycho Jenny gave a jarring scream, releasing torrents of mental waves in all directions. Her arms gripped around the icy spear as she thrashed, trying to direct her strongest attacks at Michael, who winced as he brought a hand to his head, staving off the telepathic assault. She was panicking; the will to survive and the pain scouring through her body let her unleash her capabilities far beyond the norm. A full-on invasion burrowed into the recesses of Michael's mind, bringing forth an insanity that did not belong to him. Michael pulled out his spear rapidly and aimed at her head, intending to finish Jenny off before she could deal more damage to him. But at that moment, there was a loud bang from the metal doors.

 

Akira’s voice was muffled, but it was clear that he was screaming Jenny’s name.

 

On hearing the voice she needed to hear, Jenny stopped her frenzy, and Michael hesitated, his spear poised above her eyes. He studied her frantic movements quietly, and waited to see her next take of action.

 

“Jenny, is it you?! Damnit, someone open the door!” Akira was yelling and pleading. He sounded concerned. Even with his distrust of the situation with Satan, he knew the cry of a sad, wounded animal when he heard one - Jenny had sounded like that, and he had used to like her before the whole fiasco had started. There was no way he could ignore a matter like this.

 

“Akira,” Jenny called out pitifully, trying to stave off the flow of ichor from her abdomen with her hands. She still kept her eyes on Michael, who was slowly lowering his spear. She was shaking and gasping with pain and fear, but there was some hope now.

 

“You’re a demon, and I should kill you. It wouldn’t be wrong to do so,” Michael muttered under his breath, though it did not sound like he was talking to her.

 

“My lord would hate you if you did that,” Jenny whispered through her laboured breaths. There were tears in her big, round eyes. It had been a while since she was stabbed like this.

 

“Exactly,” Michael hissed back. “He’d be devastated. He should have some losses before he reunites with his human lover."

 

 Jenny didn’t know how to reply. Or rather, she felt that it would just make the situation worse if she did. So she listened to the sound of Akira banging on the door, keeping half her attention on the frantic calls of Satan’s lover.

 

Michael narrowed his eyes. Jenny’s wounded scream had reminded him of Satan’s dying form, when his other self gave a shriek of pain and betrayal—was it a flashback from the past when Lucifer first fell from Heaven, or perhaps when he killed his twin brother on the First Earth?

 

He thought he had long forgotten about that. Perhaps it was caused by Jenny's mental attack, which had brought up some buried memories deep within him. It shook him at his core, and he felt unsettled and wronged. He sighed, and straightened his back instead, deciding that he had injured her enough to make his twin brother mad, while also knowing that if he did let her go, Jenny would tell and Satan would know what Michael had been up to.

 

But Michael knew he shouldn’t go too far with his hatred. It would serve him no good, and he had to remember his place as the Right Hand of God. He was acting way below someone worthy of such stature, and who knows when God would decide enough was enough and declare him fallen?

 

So Michael backed down. He shot a vacant look at Jenny, then plunged his spear into the metallic door, carving a round circle onto it. Akira had given a yelp of surprise, but Michael knew where to aim and did not inflict a single scratch on the Devilman. Soon enough, the cut metal gave way and a round hole appeared in the middle of the thick metal door. Akira’s head popped into view, looking shocked at the bloodied scene before him.

 

“Mike? What in the world happened here?”

 

Michael said nothing. He gave one last look at Akira and Jenny, then turned his back on them and walked away, fading into nothingness like a ghost.

 

Akira gulped at the uncanny display before gaping at Jenny. Then it came to his attention that she was badly hurt, and he quickly scrambled out of the circular hole and reached out to her in a panic. “Jenny!” cried the dark-haired boy, trying to take a good look at her wounds. The ichor had stopped flowing, but the deep gash was there, and he could see the white of bones through the laceration. “What do I do?”

 

Jenny mumbled, “Akira, you’re safe…My lord had been so worried for you."

 

Akira shifted uncomfortably, knowing that she was referring to his Ryo, but with all that info Zennon fed him, he felt indignant. Still, he didn’t want Jenny to die. So he wound his arms around her carefully and carried her to the elevator, then punched in the button for the lobby, which thankfully did not require an access card.

 

“I’ll go and find some medical aid kits. I’m quite sure they have some in this building,” Akira said to Jenny softly.

 

He was met with a scene of death when he reached the floor, the aftermath that Jenny had created on her arrival. He didn’t know this, so he was rather shocked, but Jenny gave a bloodied cough and Akira shook himself out of his thoughts and placed her on the floor, before searching around.

 

He did manage to find a storeroom nearby that housed cleaning necessities, and yes—a medical aid kit. He grabbed it and started pulling out the bandages.

 

He hurried to Jenny’s side and began his work. Wiping away the ichor didn’t take too long, and he skipped the sterilising process as demons didn’t have to worry about infections. Next, he cut the cloths and wrapped the bandages around Jenny’s abdomen, making sure it was just right. In fact, he felt proud when he had finished, feeling like he did a good job.

 

All throughout the process, Jenny had been gasping for breath, not saying a word to Akira. However, once he was done, she drew her breath and reached a hand out, placing it on Akira’s forehead.

 

Akira felt his mind being invaded, and his memories fully displayed before a powerful otherworldly monster. He yelped in surprise and drew away from her, making an expression of betrayal.

 

Jenny had seen enough, and she threw him an apologetic look. “Akira, I’m sorry I did it without warning you, but I had to know exactly what had happened.” She spoke weakly and coughed a little, then smiled. “I won’t do that anymore. Thank you so much for your hard work, Akira."

 

The dark-haired youth frowned and said, “You should thank people first before doing such things, Jenny. That was a major invasion of privacy! Anyway, I know everything about the Second Earth now. What are you doing to do about it? I saved your life. Surely you can’t be plotting to kill me, or tell Ryo about me."

 

Jenny lifted an eyebrow. “Akira,” she sighed in exasperation, “do you have any idea how worried my lord had been for you? However, I find it my immediate task to clear up this whole misunderstanding. Zennon’s lies and my lord’s have mixed and created a huge mess overall. Frankly, I’m ashamed of Lord Satan’s foolishness to tell you the truth, but I know he was very afraid of your rejection-“

 

“You’re not making sense here, Jenny,” Akira started.

 

“No, please listen to me. The whole story is nothing as Zennon says it is, and neither did my lord tell the proper truth to you. What you think you know about the Second Earth is false. I will show you everything that really happened, with my powers. The truth that both Zennon and Lord Satan kept from you."

 

Akira hesitated. He was tired of being wrapped in the schemes and lies of both sides, and he knew Jenny had psychic abilities that could also show Akira a false truth. Yet when he peered at her, his intuition told him that she was telling the truth; her heart was calling out to his, and he knew that she would show him everything he needed to know.

 

“I will show you,” Jenny repeated, stretching out her hand for him to take. Akira crawled over her lying form, settling by her side with some lingering doubts.

 

“Take my hand and place it on your forehead. I’ll show you everything that transpired on the Second Earth, and what happened in all the times you were away with Zennon in this lifetime. You shall no longer be warped by misunderstandings and deceptions."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote all of this on a whim, without much planning. I don't have any beta readers, so putting this out makes me a little nervous, since I'm not sure what you guys will make of it. I didn't plan for some elements to appear in the chapter, but they just sort of happened.
> 
> Still, I'm curious to see what you guys think! Since I've been getting a lot of encouragement lately, I've been more psyched to keep writing! I aim to wrap this story up soon. We've got Akira, Satan, Zennon and his demons, and Michael to deal with.
> 
> Michael's really fun but difficult to write. He really does what he wants, since he's on neither side; he isn't really working with Zennon in the conventional way and he can pull out any time he wants or desires. He can't go overboard but wanting to kill Jenny - technically she is a demon and the demon race are enemies of Heaven mainly due to their evil, aggressive personalities, but Jenny's proven herself to be above the vileness of demons. Michael was treading on a very thin line.
> 
> Meanwhile we've got Akira in good hands again, but Zennon wasn't lying about the chip. So that's going to be iffy!


End file.
